Brotherly Love
by BazzCatgirl03
Summary: After the fight, Darry and Soda decide to go after Ponyboy and arrive in time to prevent the murder as the week goes by. It becomes evident to Darry that the situation is going to lead to a catastrophe. And that could have far reaching consequences for their gang, as the gang wars heat up till they explode a week later. Will the Curtis gang make it or will this destroy them.
1. Prologue: Interventions And Pre-Fights

**Brothers**

**Characters: Ponyboy Curtis, Johnny Cade, Dallas Winston, Darry Curtis, Soda Curtis, Steve Randle, Two-Bit Matthews, Cherry Valance, Randy Anderson, Bob Sheldon**

**Time-line: After the movie and the fight**

**Synopsis: After the fight between Ponyboy and Darry, Darry, Soda, Steve and Two-bit go looking for Johnny and Ponyboy and arrive in time to prevent Bob's death. As the situation that night reveals added consequences, for the gang.**

**Disclaimers: The Outsiders do not belong to me, the story belongs to me, the characters and everything else belongs to the author and the movie company.**

**Warnings: This story is going to follow the movie version to the situation, but changes directions at the attack at the park, but it's going to follow things from the first five chapters and changes after the attack. So this is going to be a what if every adult in town decided enough was enough of the wars between both sides and decide to put an end to it now, but the story begins after the concession stand.**

**The story is being placed after at the drive in and follows both the movie and book version till after he heads for Johnny, but instead of the things that happen the story is having the entire gang at the church. The following Friday after school as he was recovering from the attack. And the near drowning now as they saved the kids and Bob survives the fight.**

**It's also going to be a what if, if Cherry parents made the decision to sponsor the Curtis brothers by being their adopted parents for several years. Before Pony got out of school and got into College, as she becomes their sister. And she breaks it off with Bob and starts dating Dally now after that.**

**And this story is going to be in Darry's point of view from the second Ponyboy leaves the house, for this chapter, it's going to be a change up as Ponyboy's teacher and the cops all decide enough is enough as they set up a sting operation and prepare for what could happen that night. While the follow up chapter covers the fight between Darry and Ponyboy and the assault.**

**Prologue: Decisions and Sting Operations**

After seeing my student walk into class that afternoon, I saw a bruise on his cheek and what looked like a scab across the neck and nodded as I said it to him. "Ponyboy, come here." I told him and he walked over to me. "Alright son, what caused this exactly?" I asked and he sighed. "Walking home from the theater yesterday, I had a run in with a group of Socs driving a red Corvair." he told me and I nodded sternly at the news.

"You never did anything did you, they attacked you unprovoked, again?" I asked and he nodded. "Yes Sir, but everything at home is going fine right now, but they just ticked the guys off completely right now. But we never starts fights with these guys, they attack us unprovoked, which explains why Dally is so irritated, and Two-bit is close to calling bodyguard status." he told me and I nodded to the news sternly at that.

"Great this keeps up, it's going to result in an injury that can not be taken back at the moment." I said and he nodded to me. "I'm not looking for police trouble, but this continues and you know what's going to happen." he said and I nodded gently. "Yes I do, and we all had it with this, I'm going to talk to the police chief, before this has you removed from Darry's custody right now." I told him and he nodded to me gently then.

"Darry's working late tonight, and the guys and I are going to the movies, Soda and Steve are going to the playoffs, after work tonight, but we're going to the drive in, and possibly we got several also going there." he told me and I nodded as that helped in knowing where to send the officers that deal with it most then. "What's the writing project we got coming up, Sir?" he asked and I smiled as I answered him.

"If you want to turn this into a creative writing that's fine, but past experiences." I told him and he nodded to the remark. "Before I turn it in, I know this seems like what one action triggers a chain reaction, but it wasn't him Sir, it was never him. It's he's had the scare of a lifetime in my case, but running into the guys that did Johnny, he's going to have a panic attack if I get hit twice in two days right now."

"Though that happens and it could be taken the wrong way in your case as adults." he said and I nodded to the remark gently as class started then and I watched him working, I knew he was a good kid, quiet, but kind, but the boy had been through a lot the last 8 months. As his only relatives were his brothers in his immediate family, I was concerned and still waiting for something that would results in even more trouble.

As the bell rang and he got up. "My line's open if you need to call me tonight, son." I said and he nodded smiling as he said it then. "See you Monday Sir." he said and I nodded as he left and I smiled, he was a good kid, and I knew loss of his parents was still hard on him, as I made decision. Just as I was preparing to take to it to the principal and the chief I heard a fight break out, just outside in the parking lot and called it out.

"Hey alright boys break it up and take it off grounds or I've got the cops coming here, right now!" I shouted out the window and that ended it at that as I saw Keith Matthews who I knew was a member of my student's gang. "Two-bit, Steven get over here." I called out and they ran to the window at that. "What the hell was that about, son?" I asked and he sighed as he answered me at the question then.

"The idiots that attacked him yesterday just tried to jump me and Steve, before he left for work at the moment, but we're not putting up with this anymore. But whatever he told you this afternoon he's saying it for all of us, but Dally and I are close to going on bodyguard protection. He's barely out of his early teens and these guys attack a child, do they expect you or the cops to take this much longer right now."

"I mean come on, enough already right now?" he asked and I nodded gently at the news. "We're still looking for the guys that attacked Johnny right now, though I hope to god, they don't find us instead of the other way around." Steven told me and I nodded to him. "Well these guys are clearly vicious, you guys get in trouble every now again, but you're not dangerous, I see passed the facade." I said to him and they nodded to me gently at that.

"Dal's the exception to that, I don't know why he keeps getting in trouble, but we're still working on that, but I'm with him and the duo tonight. And Darry's working late while Steve and Soda are at the game tonight." Two-bit told me and I nodded. "Alright wise guy, you better stop fooling around, you're still in high school for what reason exactly?" I asked and he chuckled as he answered me then as he looked at Steven.

"I know what's coming if I do graduate, it's not happening, and I'm not leaving my brothers unprotected right now." he said and I nodded gently, knowing with that one sentence, he loved Ponyboy like a baby brother, he wasn't leaving the Curtis brothers without a fight. "I understand, but we may have one chance, but whoever crosses the line tonight is the one getting put in military school for it." I said and he nodded as he answered me.

"Two-bit you better lay off the drinking tonight, because I'm about to suggest to the cops we go to a sting operation right now. Just to arrest the guys that attacked your brothers, you and the trio are at the movie, and if I know Tim, he hears he's got a chance to change things. And they're getting involved in this, but time is up, so they got two chances and it's done." I said and Two-bit nodded gently to me as Steven said it for him.

"Intervention to prevent them from splitting up their family?" Steven asked and I nodded. "Yep, but this keeps up between you guys and the next could result in a murder on both sides, and we're preventing it at all costs." I heard and turned to see the teacher next door to me standing there and they nodded. "Alright got it, we're going to a sting operation, so whoever chooses to be the bait is who I meet tonight." Two-bit said to her and I nodded to him.

"These Socials don't realize you're not drunk, you're thinking straight and turn it into a bait and switch, so they attack now and we take them down." I said and he nodded to me then. "Issues with being a teacher, these idiots don't realize you had enough of their side of the story at the current moment now. And hearing it straight from the horse's mouth right now, said is us now." he said and I nodded in agreement to that remark then.

"And that's just the point right now, we know all of you by name to know where this going to lead right now and with it, these guys. They're too loaded to realize we're listening to the entire conversation right now, that make one move and we take them down right now. Though cub keeps doing that, and they're being arrested for attacking a child." she said and he nodded in agreement to that remark gently as he smiled.

"Your brother is a good kid, that he doesn't need his life destroyed, because these guys don't know when to quit right now." I said and he nodded. "Darry's getting worried that this next one could have him lose control." he said and I nodded. "I'm going to let that go, but just this once right now." I said to that and they both nodded as Two-bit said it to me at that remark gently at the remark.

"Got it, but I hope this never switched courses, but he's about to throw these guys right to the wolves finally in our case right now. And with you, the cops and the social services being the said wolves when his book comes out to you guys." he said and we nodded smiling sternly. "Yes and the first 5 chapters gives us the entire story of what happened both yesterday and tonight." I said and they nodded smiling gently as we ended it then.

"Alright, we'll call you tonight if there's any trouble tonight, we swear." Steven told me and I nodded as they also left as I headed for the office and got on the phone then as I called the police department. _**"Parker."** _I heard and nodded. "Jared, could you come to the high school and bring the teams that deal with these kids the most." I said and knew he nodded. _**"On our way."**_ he said and I nodded and hung it up at that as I sighed.

"What's wrong Eric?" the principal asked and I crossed my arms as I answered him. "Ponyboy Curtis told me that some of the members of their rival gang, not Sheppard, but the Social Elite, attacked him completely unprovoked and all he was doing was heading home. And from the movie theater, they barely missed slitting his throat, as his gang headed it off, but he's got a bruise to the cheek and there's a cut the size of a dime."

"That's on his neck, barely missing the jugular." I said and they nodded in shock to the news. "Yeah alright I had it with this, these kids are not doing anything to starts fights with them, all they're doing is trying to deal. But what's next exactly, is someone on both sides going to end up dead if this keeps up right now, enough already." he said and the coaches that were also on campus nodded in agreement.

"These idiots don't really the Curtis gang is still in mourning at losing the trio's parents." I said and he nodded in agreement. "Yeah I know, but everything they used to do was stopped after Darrel and Jane were killed in the traffic accident with the damn train. But these brats don't realize they were mid middle class, before their parents were killed but their idol is Presley, he's from the South side." Eric Davis said and I nodded as he said it then.

"And what if this results in putting him in the hospital, he's not a young adult, he's no older then 13, damn it, they're close to adulthood, in fact these brats that just targeted him are on the edge of graduating, Ponyboy's just hit his 14th birth a month ago." his coach said sternly and I nodded in agreement to that. "He's not looking for police trouble, but we may have to take charge, right now." I said and he nodded in agreement to that sternly.

"Where he say that he, Dallas, Johnny and Keith were going to be tonight?" I heard and turned to see the chief arrive and with him the three teams dealing with the gang wars between them. "At the drive-in, Darrel is working late tonight, and Soda and Steven are going to the game." I said and he nodded. "Sting operation, I'm going to talk to the drive-in manager and have several members there at the movie theater."

"But tonight could be the big one right now." he said and they nodded. "I suggested to him he turns what happened right now, between now and whatever needs to be said over his parents into a writing assignment." I told him and he nodded. "Well that throws these brats right to the wolves, us, the judge and the social services department being the said wolves now." he said and I nodded in agreement to that remark as Hancock smiled.

"Bait and switch?" he asked and I nodded, just as I was saying it the radio went off. _**"Jared, another fight broke out, it's at the Dingo, Sheppard's gang and a Mexican hitchhiker."** _we heard and he nodded, sighing. "Son, boys, if you didn't start it, get out of range, if you don't want to end up in the middle, when we get there guys." he said and I nodded, knowing he meant Ponyboy and the duo then.

_**"Winston is at the Dingo with Cade and Curtis."** _I heard the officer at the station say as it came in and I nodded. "They must have been talking to Ian Jenkins and Joey Wilcox when the fight between Eric and this hitchhiker started." I said and they nodded in agreement to that. "Great as if we don't need repeaters, Curtis never carries a blade, and after John got hit, he's been carrying one ever since."

"But if this means anything everything from that portion to now is about to put these brats in serious trouble right now with us." Jim said to that and I nodded in agreement. "Well this took story-telling to a whole new level at the moment, but the second it gets out that the entire story is true. It's going to throw these brats right to the wolves, everyone in town is going to eviscerate these brats for attacking 14 year old."

"We know these kids all look alike, but the Curtis gang is the one less likely to cross the line, but Winston, come on kid, that's enough already right now." Officer David Hancock said and I nodded as Jared answered that as he crossed his arms then as he said it then. "Winston's record is close to being sealed, so this could be the Tulsa version to it, but why he looks like this could be connected to what happened in New York."

"Though it is, it explains why he looked sick to his stomach after we found Cade take that type of beating right now in this case." he said and I nodded in agreement to that. "Whoever did it better not target Ponyboy or so help me god, they are all getting thrown in jail for it." I said and he nodded in agreement to that remark. "Whoever did it, is in serious trouble though now." he said in response and I nodded in agreement.

"Damn it kid, this is not the time for this right now." Officer Jason Ryan said with annoyed tone to that. "It's Eric Parker again." his partner said and Jared nodded in agreement to that. "Yeah alright, time to go." he said and they nodded as they left at that remark...

**The Chief's POV:**

Knowing all these kids by name after 7 years of this and next to Dallas Winston, my biggest problem was the Sheppard gang. Said who were as bad as Dallas was, I knew whoever started it this time, that it was probably not the one that started the fight. Or we had a Social brat start the fight or worse the hitchhiker chose the wrong moment to retaliate right now, as a result, but to us we all reached our limits in this.

To me and the officers under my command, I didn't care whether it was based on groupings, nothing changed the fact they were breaking the law. And every time we turned around at the time, and knowing when the Curtis gang did get in trouble, it was just for the small misdemeanors. But a felony of manslaughter, that was something that was not going away and neither was armed robbery in our eyes.

Arriving in time for the fight, I saw the hitch-hiker with the knife and Dallas Winston, Johnny Cade and Ponyboy Curtis spot my cruiser and knowing the Sheppard gaze realizing it, if he got in trouble what the consequences would be. "Dal, guys, get out of here!" I heard Eric Parker shout and they all nodded and quickly left as I got out and got between them as I looked at them, knowing the hitchhiker was new to town.

"Alright guys, break it up, Eric what the hell caused this?" I asked and he sighed. "Just looking at the bike, before the fight started, wasn't stealing it, I swear, I was just seeing the model. I'd been planning on buying one myself, that I wanted to see what model it was, the trio were talking to Ian when the fight started. And he pulled the switch on us right now, thinking the trio were involved." he said and I nodded to him as I saw Tim then.

"Same for you guys, you were just checking the model in case you decided to buy one yourselves?" I asked and they all nodded to me. "Yes Sir, that's it exactly, but he took it the wrong way, thinking we were stealing, which we weren't and I was trying to keep it from getting too close to Curtis." Tony Philips told me and I nodded to the news. "Or the trio ending up in the middle." Eric said firmly and I nodded to the news firmly.

"Whatever Syme told you was right, right now, if the sextet hadn't done it, well then we would have. As we heard the shouts and came running, but the quartet chased off and we did the rest. He's barely a month into his 14th birthday, you attack a brother this young, you better start running in our eyes." Tim told me and I nodded sternly, knowing they all saw this the same way over Curtis the day before then.

"Alright I can let this go on a warning, but if there's trouble tonight, whoever started it this time is in big trouble, clear?" I asked and they all nodded as Eric sighed in relief then. "What's the intention?" Curly asked me and I smiled sternly. "Before I answer that, you stay out of trouble son, and I mean that." I said and he nodded as relaxed at that as the rest of their gang went to attention at that.

"We can act as undercover junior cops, Chief." Tim told me and I nodded. "Alright, the guys and I are setting up a sting operation at the drive in tonight, are you guys going to be there?" I asked and they nodded to me. "We're looking for the group that attacked him and the previous that attacked John Cade." I told them and they nodded. "Got it, but one of them starts a fight with me, I'm making it clear." Curly said and I nodded to him gently at that.

"Hey chief, if we got into the academy would that help, you need someone that knows our neighborhood, and knows the dangers?" Curly asked and I nodded. "We're giving you one last chance, but tonight maybe the big one, if these idiots are drinking and lose it over the fact that their girlfriends left them to hang around with the trio tonight." I said and they all nodded as Tim said it firmly as they exchanged looks at that.

"Alright you're on, we can stage act this, though he destroys my tires, he owes me a new set at the moment, in whoever it was. But junior cops starting now, we can change, just give us a chance to." he said and I nodded to him. "I get the feeling the acts just shifted directions, but you as adults, two sting operations, and whoever shouts narc, it's a wonder Parker never shows up to check." Curly said and I hid a chuckle and nodded to that.

"They keep yelling narc and it's wonder the narcotics division never shows up to check on this, but come on, you guys know not to cross that line, though Jennings doesn't and where's Douglas?" I asked and he crossed his arms then. "Jennings got arrested for a third time, but no matter how many times he does, he doesn't see it the way we do, but does he understand what being a pusher could do to him with his record."

"I mean you get enough from us, but if Douglas's girlfriend's baby brother ends up being the target for that acid trip where is he going to get it from, but that was then and this is now." Tim said to that and I nodded in agreement. "Yes and you got a single chance tonight boys we're giving you a chance to change, but the Douglas family they start something next year and it got worse." I said and they all nodded sternly at the remark then.

"Do these guys never pay attention, though we're bound for trouble, we don't drink, before a rumble, or worse right now, we need to stay focused." Tim said with a sigh and I nodded. "And I don't plan to tonight, if I see the girlfriend of the one that did Cade right now, Curtis is a friend, we're the same age." Curly said to him and he nodded as we ended it at that remark gently at that remark...

**At The Drive-In-Officer Hancock's POV:**

Hearing a few startled shouts out front then, before I heard it then. "Yeah, where is old Dally?" the voice said and I heard a hesitant tone in Ponyboy's voice. "He left Tim." he said and I knew Tim Sheppard came to him and the quartet then. "Hey I know he slashed my tires." he said and Ponyboy said it gently. "He's left Tim, he's not here, really, anyone seen Dally?" he asked I heard three gentle negatives and I heard an annoyed tone.

"Well I'll be looking for him." he said and ended it at that as I heard the next conversation break out. "Dally got a blade?" Two-bit asked him with a bemused tone and I heard Cade answer that question. "I don't think so." he said and I knew he nodded as he answered him. "Good deal, Tim'll fight fair as long as he don't right now." he said and I nodded. "Don't try it guys, not tonight." the clerk said with a bemused tone and I nodded in agreement.

"You look like me Carl, but I'll take it, if these guys start a fight in here right now, but we made specific rules and no matter how many times we say it. It's the elite still do it right now, so if they're all drunk, we're making it highly clear, but the assault and battery charges. These elite brats have more then both gangs combined right now." I said and he nodded to the remark as the guy across the aisle in the other line said it firmly to that.

"Whoa, hey watch it wise guy, before you give us all heart attack tonight." I heard and heard someone start laughing at the remark and I shook my head, as I checked out the door that the trio were seated at and saw them playfully fooling around and nodded with a bemused smile. "Alright you keep that up and you're going to get it" "And you keep it up and you're both going to get it, so cool it Jake." we heard and I tried to keep from laughing at that.

"Hey, alright guys, that's enough of that already." I heard Johnny say and I heard it started getting out of hand from there as the playful remarks started getting worse. "Who left the door open exactly?" Ponyboy asked and I heard a chuckle from Eric. "They're on standby, waiting for trouble, but acting normal for once, we can get along, but just watch it with that." he said as I heard a thunk, followed by two more and then a third.

"Someone's brought a few pillows, but this keeps up and the next thing we hear is going to be a..." the clerk said as the blows started going back and forth, before the next one resulted in a startled bark and I started laughing at that. "Someone brought the dog along and it got smacked in the blowout." the clerk said as he also started laughing at that response. "I never seen the kids like this." the woman next to me said and I nodded to that.

"A night to be normal and the kids are playing around in hearing range of us, knowing we're waiting for trouble." Ryan said and I nodded in agreement. "Hey cool it" Hey, he started it." we heard and I called out the door, knowing Tim's gang knew we could hear this. "I don't care who started it, I'm ending it, so break it up already out there, that's enough of that already." I said and it went quiet at that and the girls started laughing at that.

"Are they on stand by, this is the first time we saw them acting like normal teenagers?" she asked and we nodded. "Yeah we gave them one last warning, but hearing we're looking for the Social Elite brats that attacked Ponyboy Curtis and Johnny Cade. They wanted to get involved right now, as they decided instead of possibly getting shipped out east, they chose to join the academy." I said as I heard something made of carbonation explode at that.

As I heard an annoyed shout at that. "Hey watch where you aim that, that's my favorite shirt, and I didn't bring a spare shirt tonight, wise guy." I heard Jimmy Owens say to the guy that did it. "The bottle got knocked over, not alcohol, it was a bottle of Pepsi." Tim shouted out to me and I nodded. "Looks like the knock over caused it to explode and the blast barely missed Jim." Ryan said and I nodded in agreement to his thoughts.

"And the blast probably broke the cap off of it, and it went flying across their aisle, if Eric said that to him." I said and they nodded in agreement, before we heard another scream and then laughter as I heard a joking warning tone in Tim's voice as he said it to his brothers at that. "Alright that's enough of the jump scares guys, we got work to do, so that's enough of that already." he said and I nodded as the clerk next to me said it with a chuckle.

"Jeesh, these guys are doing jump scares on each other with it pretty close to Halloween, well quiet night, no trouble." the man next to me said and I nodded, just as I was saying it, Curly came in then. "All set son?" I asked and he nodded to me then. "Yeah we're ready, but Derek and I are coming in, so whoever of the ten's gang is it, that spots the duo is telling whoever attacked Cade." he told me and I nodded firmly as they looked at me.

"So you said this was a trap, that if these guys are loaded are going to think you're kidding and it's not them that get it, but your counterparts, Curly?" the girl asked and we nodded. "Exactly, this was a bait and switch, that if whoever sees the girls with the trio, if Dallas left already, these brats don't realize we were waiting for this as despite Curly's warning, they still do it and they're screwed." I said and she nodded as she looked at Curly.

"Some of us are pretty decent guys, but still problems with seeing passed the facade." Curly said to her and she nodded. "And it doesn't help your brothers are acting like a wise guy after these sneak attacks." she said in response to that with a slight smile. "If you mean Matthews, that's not our catch, but with it this close to Halloween, he's trying to make light of the situation." he said and she nodded smiling gently to that remark.

"He pretty much said what we all think, we had it with this right now." the girl Soc in the line on the right said and we nodded. "Too late, Kris, get ready, my more dangerous brothers, that's not my gang, but the Brumly brothers now are the danger here. We leave your guy counterparts alone, but they won't us." Derek Richards said to her and she nodded to him. "Watch out for those guys?" she said and he nodded as we exchanged looks.

"Especially if they're drunk, but we, though we get in trouble alot, we know not to be drinking when out in public. But your guy counterparts get more DUI's and assault and battery charges then both our gangs combined." he said and she nodded sternly. "And tonight is the end of the line if they target the Curtis gang for a third time, is that what this is?" she asked and he nodded as he explained that to to her.

"Yeah that's exactly my point though we're tough, we don't pick fights with your brother counterparts." he said and she nodded. "Want for a better word, what is this if Cherry and Marcia are hanging around with the trio?" she asked and he explained that to her. "We're looking for your guy counterparts that assaulted Cade a few months ago and did Curtis yesterday." he said and she nodded in shocked disgust at that news.

"How old did he say he was again?" she asked and he said it with a firm tone. "Aside from still in mourning, his parents were killed in a traffic accident with a train six months ago. And the other is he's the youngest of their gang, Derek and I are his and Cade's age, but he got put up a year in junior high. But he's a month into his 14th birthday." he told her and she and her best friend nodded in shock to the news as she answered that.

"He's barely out of 13, and they attack a child, we're seniors in high school here!" her friend said in shock and we nodded to that. "And that's why these guys are about to be arrested, but all of you, act casual, my partner and I are pretending we're one of the stand chefs, guys." I said as I looked between both sides and they all nodded as we ended the conversation as I heard chuckle from outside of the stand and knew he got a smile out of her.

Taking the place of two employees in the concession stand then, I was watching things as I saw Ponyboy come in and next to him was a beautiful young redhead. As I got the reason for the nickname, as her hair was a cherry red in tinge then as I heard their conversation. "Your friend, the one with the side-burns, he okay?" she asked and he nodded as he answered her gently at the question as there was mix of both sides.

In their line as the boys were acting decent with the girls and they were all going single file as well. 'Yeah every teenager in here knows if it's not the clerks ready to call it, then we are if we have a fight start in here right now.' I thought as Ponyboy said it to her. "Yeah he ain't dangerous like Dal, if that's what you mean." he said and I tried to keep from giving myself away then as she said it to him.

"He sure scared Johnny." she said and he nodded to her. "Johnny's a nervous wreck anyway, he got beat up a few months ago by some Soc." he told her and she nodded. "Is that how he got his scar?" she asked and he nodded. "Yeah the guy was wearing a couple of rings." he said and she nodded. "Not all of us are like that." she said and he sighed. "Sure." he said and I knew he resented their side as a result of family issues.

"What the heck was that about, Curtis?" Curly asked and she sighed as he answered him. "She's not bound for our type of trouble, and Johnny deflected it, and he got angry and took it out on your truck, man." he said and he and the boy behind him nodded in annoyance. "And you want to get into a fight, do it when we're not around you man, but seriously we were just talking to Ian and Joe, so what happened after we left."

"Curly, were all of you guys here tonight?" he said and the other boy nodded to him as he walked in at that. "Yeah, Eric's out on a warning, but you saw the results." he said and Ponyboy nodded. "Eric Parker got into a fight, but it was look, no touch with the biker's motorcycle." he explained to her and she nodded. "And this biker started a fight with him and you barely ended up in the middle?!" she said in shock and we nodded to that.

"Yeah we go through this all the time on our side of town, and that was a member of Tim's, my, gang that got into that fight with him. But Eric's out on a warning, but he never started it, the biker lost his temper and in thinking he was stealing it and came to the wrong conclusion. But look, no touch and not when every adult is ready to call in any trouble where we're concerned." Curly said to her and she nodded gently to him.

"Well I see you and your friend, like his teacher, see passed our image." he said and she nodded to him. "Is your brother anything like Dallas?" she asked and he sighed as he said it then. "Not going for trouble every time we turn around, but we only get like that, after your male counterparts assault someone several years their junior." he said to her and she nodded sternly and I nodded sternly to that remark.

"Well that explains it, his temper, they attacked who, in his eyes, was his baby brother, and he sees whoever did it, if they also were part of the group. Of the ones that did Johnny, I'm just waiting for the next one to happen as he sees me and realizes I've had it right now. But too many things could happen when he and his friends are loaded so to me, it's me, or the booze." she said and they both nodded gently to her at that.

"Well get ready, they see you ditched them to hang around with us and his trio, and that threat turns into a promise later, I heard your name, Cherry, right?" he asked and she nodded. "Seem like a nice guy, you're his age, or a few months older, right?" she asked and he nodded. "I am, but my brother is the leader of my gang, Tim's the guy that asked you that question." he told her and she nodded to him gently at that.

"So why is he looking for him, or was that..." she started to say and he nodded. "Hold that thought a second." he said as several of her male counterparts walked in and she nodded, as they bought what they were going to get and left and he relaxed. "To answer your question, bait and switch, and you just nominated yourselves as the bait, your boyfriends." Derek said to her and she nodded to him gently at the news.

"They attacked him too?" she said with a low growl and he nodded. "Yeah, and, we would have come to his rescue, if their gang hadn't done it first, but he's a month into his 14th birthday." the boy next to him said and she nodded in shocked disgust. "To us we fight fair, but when you attack someone this young, you better start running in our eyes, as we're not letting it go right now." Curly told her and she nodded in stern disgust at that.

As I looked at the other aisle as Tim's brother Curly came through the line with a red headed boy dressed in a leather jacket. 'Now.' I said, mouthing it to them and they both nodded gently as Derek shoved one of the boys in line as it started getting worse as the kid got shoved by a boy and of one the girl's group and nodded. 'Guys, don't start right now, I'm trying to focus on their conversation.' I thought with a sigh as I nudged the cook next to me,

As I heard it then. "Leave him alone, will you?" Curly snapped as he shoved the guy away from Derek as he said it then. "Alright knock it off, and leave him alone, will you." Curly said again as he got between them. "Hey I said cool it, in case you're not paying attention we got the girls in here, they don't need it too close to them though we got the counter between us and the adults." he said sternly and the girls in Ponyboy's aisle nodded.

"Uh oh, here we go again, do it and get it out of the room, before we end up in the middle, Curly." Kristen said to him and he nodded as he gave a warning tone to the Social he was dealing with. "Shoot come on man, not tonight, not tonight, we need a break to be normal for once, so both of you cool it already right now." Curly told them and the jersey Soc said it to him as he shoved him away from Derek as he grabbed his jacket.

"What are you going to do it about it?" the Social asked and Curly grabbed his jacket at that remark, with a warning tone as he looked at him sternly as he looked at him then. "Let's take it outside huh, that's what I'll do, we got the adults watching, just try it right now, you think his gang wouldn't retaliate. right now. Or that we wouldn't for you attacking him, he's barely out of his early teens, and you idiots are drunk are right now."

"You're drunk." he said and I nodded sternly to the news as the cashier tapped Ponyboy on the arm and he nodded sternly at that. "Yeah, I can smell it all the way over here, but that's them." Ponyboy said and he nodded with a furious look at the news then. "It was these idiots, which ones?" he asked and Ponyboy pointed at the two in jerseys and we nodded sternly to the news as the girl behind him said it then.

"It was these guys Pony?" she asked and he nodded to her and we nodded sternly. "Walking home from the theater, it was like every time I turned around I had these guys coming, I was just outside my house. And they attacked me, but the shouts alerted my gang to the attack, but they pissed my brother Darry off and with him, Dally and Two-bit." he said and she nodded sternly as Curly said it for her at the news then.

"Were they also drinking?" I asked and he nodded and we both nodded as my eyes narrowed sternly. "Yeah that's the only time they try it, if we're alone, but some of us know the rules and deal in being sober. But the fact they attacked me, my entire side is close to calling a grudge match next, but do that, and you, if you're not who I think, is arresting all of them and shipping overseas." he said and I nodded sternly as Curly said it firmly to him at that.

"Attempted murder on two occasions, are you guys out of your minds or are you just plain stupid right now, but did it ever occur to you. That the third time's the charm is going to have them not point the finger at them, but at you, if someone on either side ends up dead right now. How about the fact that if the cops hear the entire conversation before this gets back to Syme and your days are numbered." Kristy said to that remark sternly and I nodded.

"The four of us are in the same class right now, but you idiots are close to being arrested right now." Curly said in response and I nodded. "How much longer can this go on, before we start seeing passed appearances and we get tried in whether or not we're from either side?" Ponyboy asked and I nodded in agreement to that as Cherry looked at their side of the aisle with a stern look on her face at that remark.

"And we know only five units that deal in the conflict between our sides, and it's serious enough already, that they're ready to call it. And before it kills someone, but are you idiots trying to get arrested by the cops, us girls know better, but they got an easier time with us. And without the male dominance that comes with it, but did you ever consider that drinking and crazy jealousy is the one way ticket right to the cooler?"

"And us girl Socs all had it with you guys, but are you trying to lose us as we're ready to hook up with your Greaser counterparts. At least they can protect us without being drunk when doing it right now." Cherry said with a stern tone then and Curly nodded. "And given the chance, we can be everything they want us to be right now, as we would give that up for them in a heartbeat right now." Ponyboy said and she nodded smiling sternly.

"Give us a chance we can be decent, and we can shed that tough boy complex, but so long as you single us out, we stay like this. But we know better to start a fight in public, and none of us are drunk and I know Matthews wasn't right now, the five of us know better. Tim's not drunk nor is Two-bit, but we're wanting a chance to enjoy ourselves and you start a fight, enough already." Derek snapped at him sternly at the remark as Curly said it to him.

As I saw Two-bit looking at us from outside with a smile on his face as her friend was leaning against him with a gentle smile on her face. "He's right, we can be decent, and we have more finesse then starting a fight in public and when they don't drink. And we all know the rules, but 1) we could have the cops here, 2) is that you guys are the ones that started this, and 3) is none of us are loaded, and we know the rules on drinking and driving."

"That's illegal, we're all under 21, you idiot, are you guys trying to get arrested, as we all wanted a night off to be normal teenagers, for once. And you guys are drinking?" Curly snapped at him and we all nodded in agreement. 'Well all that says is he wants to be looked at as normal, they can wear decent clothes, though they keep the haircuts, their idol is Presley.' I thought as as the Clerk said it sternly to the Soc boys with a warning look.

"And Bob and Randy did bring it with them, I took one whiff of what was in their canteens and bailed, Marcia right behind me, and met up with Ponyboy and his trio." Cherry told me and we nodded sternly. "Surnames?" I asked and she explained that to me. "Robert 'Bob' Sheldon and Randall 'Randy' Anderson, Sir, my father works for the firm in town." she said and we nodded sternly as the clerk beside me said it sternly to the quartet in Curly's line.

"What's your dad?" Ponyboy asked and she said it. "He's a lawyer, you never did anything wrong, you're just keeping us company, and you're too young for me, friends is all there is between us, even brother and sister." she said and he smiled gently at that and Curly smiled in relief. "None of us are drunk and we know better right now, though these idiots keep breaking that law." Curly said and we nodded in agreement sternly to his remark.


	2. 1) The Warning And The Fight I

**Brothers**

**Characters: Ponyboy Curtis, Johnny Cade, Dallas Winston, Darry Curtis, Soda Curtis, Steve Randle, Two-Bit Matthews, Cherry Valance, Randy Anderson, Bob Sheldon**

**Time-line: After the movie and the fight**

**Synopsis: After the fight between Ponyboy and Darry, Darry, Soda, Steve and Two-bit go looking for Johnny and Ponyboy and arrive in time to prevent Bob's death. As the situation that night reveals added consequences, for the gang.**

**Disclaimers: The Outsiders do not belong to me, the story belongs to me, the characters and everything else belongs to the author and the movie company.**

**Warnings: The story is being placed after the fight and after he heads for Johnny, but instead of the things that happen the story is having the entire gang at the church. The following Friday after school as he was recovering from the attack. And the near drowning now as they saved the kids and Bob survives the fight.**

**It's also going to be a what if, if Cherry parents made the decision to sponsor the Curtis brothers by being their adopted parents for several years. Before Pony got out of school and got into College, as she becomes their sister. And she breaks it off with Bob and starts dating Dally now after that.**

**And this story is going to be in Darry's point of view from the second Ponyboy leaves the house, for this chapter, it's going to be the rest of the time from the drive in. And when they ran Cherry and Marcia, and from the warning by Bob and Randy, to his fight with Darry and then the assault in the park by Bob and Randy and their gang now.**

**Chapter 1: Sting Operations, Fights and The Attack**

**At The Drive-In-Officer Hancock's POV Continued:**

"Alright who brought it with them this time, you guys know the rules?" the clerk next to me said sternly and I nodded in agreement. "They're wasted." Kristy said to that and he nodded to the remark. "More then wasted and drinking and driving is illegal, so is assault and battery in a public place, but the charges are piling up tonight, if the next one is another attack in a non prov." I said sternly and Curly said it with a stern growl at him.

"And for just telling the truth, these losers are no better then we are." Curly said for both himself, Derek and Ponyboy and I nodded. "And it doesn't matter what you look like, there will be consequences, and we all reached our limits of the gang wars between you." Carl said as he came in, in time to hear that remark. "No kidding, but we had it with this right now." Ponyboy said to that and I nodded in agreement to that.

"You know the rules, bring it and you're being arrested for it when in public place you idiot, but unless your mind is not firing on all cylinders. But Curtis, Derek, Cade and I are all under age right now, we're 14 to 16 here, you idiots, but you're not thinking straight. But we had it with you guys so again, touch him again and your asses are our's and we mean every word of that, so stay away from him and Cade, I mean it."

"And I'm warning you, come into our territory to do that attack and you're screwed right now, as I don't have to hear the words. But Syme and the cops know and you attack them again, or jump him for a second time and it's all over the cops and town. Next, that you attacked a boy no older then 14, you idiots are seniors in high school." he said sternly and I nodded in agreement, knowing he realized we taken charge to prevent a fight that night.

"You idiots and my gang are seniors in high school, you're adults and Curtis and I are 14, Cade is no older then 16, get the memo. And stay the hell out of our territory, or you idiots are through right now, it doesn't matter what we look like. But we're no older then 14, you idiots are all adults, so chalk this up to child abuse, and get the memo, stay out of our territory, Soc." he said sternly to him and Ponyboy nodded sternly.

"Our outfits are friends, but our one role besides stick together is don't get caught, so you want to get arrested for starting a brawl in public. And I know the chief's got several officers on stand by, but if you're loaded, you're the ones being arrested for it. How long do you think they'll take this much longer, before they arrest the real criminals, we can be decent, and we have more finesse then starting a fight in public."

"But attack a kid barely out of his preteens and your asses are ending up court for attempted murder, you idiots." Curly said and Derek nodded in agreement to that remark as he read it out to him and Ryan crossed his arms then. "Assault and battery, drinking and DWI, you're winding up with some hefty charges if you don't dial it down now, we got witnesses here." Derek said to him at that Curly nodded in agreement to his thoughts.

"And did it ever occur to you idiots that we might have the cops undercover tonight, in case of another attack that crosses the line?" he asked and I hid a smile. 'Yeah all but tell him that the chief and we commandeered the concession stand, and they're too loaded to realize it. And till they're fully sober tomorrow, if the next one, nearly kills someone right now, nice scare tactic son.' I saw in my partner's eyes and hid a nod to his thoughts.

"We're all sober right now, and we outnumber you guys 20 to 5, so watch it right now, so let's take it outside." he said to him sternly at that remark and I nodded sternly in agreement. 'Yeah no joke, young man try it now, and you're being arrested or did you not get the memo right now, with you drunk." my partner, Jason Ryan said sternly as he crossed his arms as Ponyboy nodded as he got it as he and Cherry watched me then.

As I moved to that side of the line as I looked at them, before the fight got worse as it was a struggle between Derek, Curly and three social elites: two dressed in the school jersey jacket and a third dressed in winter clothing of a yellow sweater and khaki pants. "Uh oh, now you done it right now, Ricky." the girl right behind Ponyboy and Cherry said to him and I nodded as I said it firmly as I ended the fight between them at that.

"Alright you two, why don't you both take it outside, come on, outside." I said and he shoved him away from him as he grabbed what he came to get and tossed us a wadded up five dollar bill and I nodded, knowing he was paying for their snacks as that ended it then between them. "Whoever calls the cops next, take it outside, before she and the girls end up in the middle, guys, come on." Ponyboy called out and his side nodded gently.

"Curtis, Tim's waiting on stand by man." Derek said and he nodded to the news. "Tell Two-bit, we'll join him in a sec, I've got to pay for this first, but whoever starts it a second time do it out of earshot of the adults, before they get the cops coming here, would you please." he said and both sides nodded in agreement to his request. "Or before you have us ending it ourselves now, son." I said in response and they all nodded as the duo left at that.

"And I don't care who started that fight, I'm ending it, but you got the adults watching and listening to the entire conversation young man. So someone on your side crosses the line and you not thinking at all clearly, you're getting it in the morning if you drop by their houses. Tomorrow now, but that's the end of the line, but you got more Assault and battery charges then their side combined." I said sternly and they swallowed hard at that.

As the trio all paled at that as they looked at me. "I know that tone, I hear that in Hancock's voice when he's arrested us a few times." The jersey Soc said and I nodded sternly. "Like he said it, you want to cross that line and you're being arrested for it young man, but I meant it, do it in here, and you're being arrested for assault and battery so take it outside, now." I said with a warning tone and he quickly left at that remark.

"Nice touch Officer, that scares 'em off right now." Kristy said to me and I nodded to that. "Yes and I meant it, they want to cross that line, lets see them deal with it when the shoe is on the other foot right now. But you're under age and they're adults, you never did anything wrong, just acting as a gentlemen to protect her in case the Brumlys comes through here." I said and he nodded gently as he looked at us at the remark then.

"Well I know that tone, I heard that tone in Syme's voice all the time on campus, but he said he was getting the cops involved before this resulted in something else. I also saw a couple cruisers on campus, when heading home from school." Ponyboy told me and I nodded. "You know some of us do issues in cases of the Narcotics department, sting operation son." my partner said and he looked between us at that remark.

"Officer Hancock, Officer Ryan?" Ponyboy said and I nodded. "Curly wasn't kidding, we're looking for the ones that attacked both you and Cade, so set the trap..." I said and we both smiled. "And they fall right into it and Marcia and I are the bait, okay we got it, but if Johnny asks me if Bob catches sight of us. And you found your Soc that attacked him and his companion red car." she said and we both nodded to her as they exchanged looks.

"Johnny said that the car was a blue mustang, this year." Ponyboy said and she froze at that remark. "Did he say who was driving that car?" she asked and he nodded. "A brunette dressed in the school jacket, with a red long sleeve t-shirt, and his friend, blonde with a shirt version to whatever he could be wearing right now, if your boyfriends and these Socs are the very same guys." he said and she nodded to the news sternly at that remark.

"And if they are, they just pissed me off right now, you guys are decent, though Dal wants me to like, he better clean up his act." she said and I hid chuckle at that remark. "Nice touch right now, but we know better then to do it too close to you, you hate fights, we get that, but there is no need to start one. We're not hurting you, you came of your own accord, and we're being decent to you." Ponyboy said to her, and the girls behind him gently.

As the girl that was talking to the duo brushed a hand on his back and he smiled at her gently at the response then. "Not us, your counterparts were trying to start a fight, but Curly just ended it, before we had the call go out right now." he said and she nodded gently. "I hope your wiseacre brother stops pulling pranks on us tonight, as not only did he scare Johnny, he also startled us." she said and he nodded to her smiling then gently.

"If you mean Two-bit, he's always like that, but with it close to Halloween, the jumps scares are about to start getting out of hand, so watch it, if he puts a phantom's mask in someone's locker later, Kris." he said and she and her friends started laughing at that and nodded to him. 'Yeah, cub is good with the girls and he's got them lining up to talk, at least there's no trouble tonight.' I thought smiling as my partner exchanged smiles with me.

'Well that's a gentlemen, he's not having her or her friend end up in the middle between their sides right now." I thought gently to that remark, knowing he was trying to keep it from getting out of hand between them.' I thought gently to that remark then as I listened to their conversation start a second time. "That's like saying all you Greasers are like Dallas Winston and anyway, you think the Socs have it made."

"The rich kids, the South-side Soc, well I'll tell you Ponyboy, and make come as a complete surprise, but things are rough all over." she said and he nodded. "Come on, or Two-bit will think we eloped to Mexico." he said and she chuckled as they paid for it and left and I nodded as I said it softly. "Well that helps, she understands him and he her right now." I said gently at that remark and the employees and my partner nodded.

"Well all that says is if they can set it aside, they got a lot in common, but only two things separate the sides." the clerk next to me said and I nodded in agreement. "She's a couple years older then he is, but she's just like him right now." I said and he nodded, as my partner was standing by there, and I knew they knew we were waiting for the attack as they were all completely relaxed then.

As I saw the girl's friend with Keith and hid a smile gently at that, after leaving after the movie ended I was listening to their conversation. Before Cherry's fast warning tone, knowing if they could get along this easily there was hope, but it wasn't the girls of the social elite grouping. But their male counterparts that we were worried about right now, as we waited for these idiots to cross the line finally...

**The Warning, The Fight And The Attack I-Ponyboy's POV:**

Rejoining the guys and Marcia, I quickly said it. "Two-bit, is that alcohol?" I asked and he shook his head then. "No, I'm on duty, the guys set a trap, and they're about to fall for it, they're looking for the guys that did Johnny." he told me and I nodded. "Well I just found the duo that did me, they were in the stand and Curly got into it with them." I said and he nodded sternly as I said it to Marcia and Johnny at that remark.

"Guys, the cop are commandeering the drive-in tonight." I said and they nodded. "Why?" Marcia asked and I explained that to her. "They're looking for the guys that attacked me and Johnny, but I caught them, my version, Derek and Curly got into it with them. But Ryan and Hancock are in the concession stand, but you girls chose yourselves as the bait, once you joined us." I said and she nodded to the news gently at that.

"Syme's on stand by and everyone is in position." I said and they nodded as Tim tapped me on the back and I nodded. "Yeah I'm ready, man." I said and he smiled and nodded as he left at that. "They went cop tonight, they're joining the academy." I said and they nodded smiling gently. "So blue car, and two guys, what they look like again?" I asked and he explained that to me and Cherry, Two-bit and Marcia.

"One was a blonde with blue eyes with a summer version to a checkered jacket, red and white checkered madras ski shirt, and the other a wine colored t-shirt, khaki pants and sporting a Ringo haircut." he said and we nodded. "And the car?" Marcia asked and he said it then. "I spotted some blood on the door of Randy's car, please tell that wasn't you he attacked?" she asked and he looked at her then as he said it to her at that remark.

"What's his car exactly?" he asked and she explained that to us. "Blue mustang of this year he got his driver's license 2 years ago and with it, his father bought him a car, but blue mustang, two doors." she said and he nodded to her. "I see Bob, and his hand, I mentioned he had several rings on his hand to Pony and the guys, but if Bob and the guy who did it are the same and you got them finally." he told her and she nodded to him gently at that.

"You guys are two young for us, aside from Dally and Two-bit, but we're friends and that is all that is between us." she said and we nodded. "Give Dal a chance and he can change." I said and she nodded. "I really hope he doesn't do anything stupid tonight." she said and I nodded. "Too late, but Merrill's party turned into a riot, guys!" Jimmy Owens called out to me and I nodded with a bemused smile at the news.

"Anything broken?" she asked and he started laughing. "His finances come from the track and a bit of bootlegging his latest attempt at getting it right blew the door of his cellar off it's hinges." he said and we all started laughing at that remark. "He keeps that up and he's going to destroy the house next." I said and they nodded in agreement as we went back to watching the movie then at this.

After our conversation at the drive-in then, she and I were talking it over, after Two-bit suggested on us giving the girls a ride home that night and we nodded. "Well no used getting passed the fact that we're more decent then these guys, but that wasn't alcohol I offered, it was a cup of soda." Two-bit said and she nodded as she smiled. "You're how old?" Cherry asked and he smiled as he answered her gently at that.

"Nearing 19, but my brothers, I'm the only one willing to go to protection mode, Pony's my kid brother, as is Johnny." he said and she nodded. "They try it again and I'm ready to call the cops, but the next threat given out is the one that is making it clear to the cops. But try it and the cops are taking them right now." he said and she nodded in relief. "Especially if he's drunk right now." Marcia said and Two-bit nodded gently then.

"I'd hate to be the idiot when he realizes this, but Bob never knows when to quit right now, he's crazy jealous, but the fact I blew him off. Just to hang out with you guys right now, he's going to lose it, when he realizes you're not drunk and thinking straight." she said and he nodded in agreement. "What you say the fight was about again?" I asked and she sighed as she answered me gently at that.

"Once I got a whiff of what was in his canteen that was it, I told him I was never going out with him when he was drinking and I meant it right now." she said and we all nodded. "What's he look like?" Johnny asked and she explained that. "Blonde, with blue eyes, dressed in checkered red sweater jacket, and Randy in a wine red sweater and khaki pants." she said and his eyes widened as he answered her as he said it then.

"The clothes shifted off summer to fall and winter versions and that is what they looked like, but they keep crossing into our territory, but the descriptions match up completely." I said and they nodded in agreement. "There is only one thing left we need to know that the duo are our Socs that attacked Johnny." Two-bit said and I nodded. "His right hand, the rings." I said and they nodded as Johnny said it for all three of us.

"Does Bob have set of rings on his right hand?" he asked and she nodded and he swallowed hard at that. "It was him." he told her and she nodded slowly to the news. "They did that your cheek?" she asked slowly and he nodded to her. "Their friends were possibly the ones who attacked Pony yesterday, but I was at their house, Dally arrived at the same time Soda and Steve did and they ticked us off." he said and they crossed their arms then.

"Dal lost two of his friends in a gang war, in New York." I said to her and she nodded in shock to the news. "Would that be the Jets and Sharks?" she asked and we nodded. "So he sees this as the Tulsa version and praying this doesn't result in repeat right now, he thought I was single, he doesn't realize, I'm soon to be the ex girlfriend of the Soc that barely killed the two of you." she said and we nodded sternly at the remark gently.

"You like him, I can tell, but he was a Jet, before becoming a Greaser." I said and she nodded to me at the news gently. "Well that explains why he never used the oil and just dresses in that leather Jacket and looks like a clean cut cowboy. It's he was reflecting his old self, but the memory is reminding him of whoever of his friends, that got killed by Bob's counterpart in the Sharks." she said and I nodded to her gently at the remark then.

"Curtis, Matthews, stand by, the cops are ready for the motive given out if they choose tonight!" I heard Curly shout and I nodded to the news then. "Great these idiots attack a second time and their screwed if the cops decided on a sting operation." Johnny said to the news and we nodded in agreement. "Tell me about your oldest brother, you never seem to talk about him." she said and I gripped the fence as I looked at her then.

"What's to tell? He's big and roofs houses." I asked, as the last seven months had been on my mind since I lost my parents and Soda's remark to me didn't make any sense right now. But I wasn't ready to admit, that I knew he cared, I was still ticked at him for not letting it go, my only safe zone was burying myself in books and movies, I wanted more and a chance to be like we used to be before they died and she said it gently.

"No, really. I mean, what's he like? I feel like I know Soda for as much as you talk about him. Tell me about Darry. Is he wild and reckless like Soda? Or dreamy like you?" she asked and I knew she saw the guys and me as good friends, and she appeared to like the tough boy complex as I said it. "He ain't like Soda, and he sure ain't like me! He can't stand me! I bet he wishes he could stick me in some boys' home."

"Soda won't let him." I said and Two-bit looked at me in shock at that. "What are you talking about?" he said and I knew we had to talk alone as I knew they were hearing the resentment in my voice at her male counterparts as Johnny said it to me. "Come on, you all get along fine." he said started to say and I lashed out. "No, we don't! You shut your trap, cos you ain't wanted at home either!" I said and Two-bit smacked me across the head.

"You shut your mouth, kid!" he said and I closed my eyes. "You had enough of this, I get that..." he started to say, and I nodded as I tried to control my voice. "Mom and dad." I said and he nodded as he rubbed the back of my head. "I'm sorry. I got a little mad." I said and Johnny nodded gently at that. "Don't worry about it." he told me and Two-bit said it to both of us. "We couldn't get along without you." he said and we nodded to him then gently.

"His parents died a few months ago, he's been holding it in ever." Two-bit told the girls and they both nodded, as she looked behind me and shouted it out. "Marcia!" she said and Marcia turned and said it quickly then. "Look who's coming! What are we gonna do?" she said and Cherry said it firmly to her then. "Just act normal. Just keep calm." she said and Two-bit looked at the car pulling in then as he said it.

"Who are these clowns?" he asked and we looked up as Bob Sheldon looked at her in shock then. "Cherry, what's going on?" he asked her and she looked at him with an unreadable look as he went further. "What are you doing? Just because we got a little drunk..." he started to say and she shouted it out at him and I knew she had it with him as Marcia, the guys and I were listening to the conversation as Marcia crossed hers then.

"A little, you call reeling and passing out on the streets a little? Bob, I've told you before, I'm never going out with you when you're drinking, and I mean it!" she snapped at him and Randy Anderson said it angrily to that remark. "That's no reason to go walking the streets with these bums!" he said and I said it firmly. "Oh can the insults." I said as Two-bit said it with a warning tone to him at that remark as Cherry nodded to that.

"Hancock and Ryan are not going to let this go, we're sober and they're drunk." I said and she nodded in agreement. "Starting a fight in hearing range of them and every adult coming out of the drive in, is bounds to call a domestic disturbance call and assault and battery. And a DUI, and he's loaded, so DWI, oh there is no getting out of this." Johnny said softly to us and we nodded in agreement as she said it to me at that.

"Wait a second, this is what the cops were waiting for, reverse psychology." she said to me in a whisper and I nodded, as I nudged Two-bit in the back at that. "They're loaded, get them to give that threat, and it's not us in trouble, it's them, they lose it now, and the cops take them down now, but get them to lose right now Two-bit." I said in a whisper to him and he said it with a warning tone to them at that.

'Yeah lose it now, and we got the cops watching this, so you lose it and they're arresting you, don't try it we got the adults watching here right now.' I thought as I saw a stern look on the chief's face at this as Two-bit said it in a warning tone then to him as the girls stood next to Johnny and me. "Who are you calling bums, pal?" he said warningly to him and he threw his jacket off of Marcia and shoved her behind him.

"You!" he snapped back at him and she snapped at him at that. "Randy!" she snapped as he went further at that. "We got two more of us in the back seat." he said and in one fluid motion he broke the bottle against the fence and gave it to me as he pulled his switch out and had it pointed at him then. "Pity the back seat!" he snapped at him and Randy said it with a firm tone at this as I saw the clerks from the concession stand looking at us.

"Stop it!" Cherry said as he said it then to him. "If you're looking for a fight..." Randy started to say and Two-bit snapped it off as he raised his voice loudly enough for every adult in hearing range to hear this as he said it. "I am looking for a fight! Let's go! Come on! Right now! Come on!" he said and she ended it at that quickly. 'Yeah do it and we take them down now, nice work Keith.' I saw in Ryan's eyes at that remark and hid a nod at that.

"All right! We'll go with you! Just wait a minute!" she said and he looked at her as he said it to her at that. 'You idiots are really out of your minds, and if your minds are not firing on all cylinders looks over there and at the cop car right across from us, you bonehead.' I thought as she locked gazes with me. 'You're drunk and don't realize we're waiting for this, so try it and we're arresting you now." I saw in Parker's eyes as I saw him watching sternly.

"We ain't scared of these bastards!" he said and she said it quickly at that. "I hate fights! I hate 'em!" she said and I saw Bob grinning with a smug look. 'Don't count on it you schmuck, she likes me and sees me as a brother, but my big brother, she likes him.' I thought sternly as she said it to me at that. "Come here, Ponyboy. I'm sorry." she said and I nodded as I said it to her gently as she looked into my eyes then.

"Look, I couldn't use this, I could never cut no one." I said to her gently as I dropped the bottle and she nodded as I heard Bob call out to her then. "Cherry, come on!" he said and she sighed as she said it to me. "We'd better go with 'em." she said and I nodded as she tried to say it then. "If I see you in school and I don't say hi, don't take it personal, OK?" she said and I nodded as I knew she wanted to hug me to heal things between us.

"Yeah, I know." I said, wishing I was dressed in some better clothes at the moment as she said it. "Really, you're a nice boy and everything." she said and I nodded to that "It's OK." I said and she smiled softly. "I hope I never see Dallas Winston again. If I do, I'll probably fall in love with him." she said and I hid a smile. 'Yeah she prefers Dally and us to these losers right now.' I saw in Two-bit's eyes at that remark as she left then.

As she moved to the car, Bob started to put his arm around her then. "Come on, baby." he started to say and she snapped at him then at that. "Don't touch me!" she said with a warning tone then as he said it to us as Randy pulled out then. "Just watch it, grease-ball." he said and Two-bit and I said it together at that. "Says who, hotshot?" we said as we left at that, before the chief pulled up to us then gently.

"Curly gave these guys a warning, and Hancock let them have it." I said and he nodded to me gently. "Well they come after you and are loaded and they're done right now son, so you guys head for home, but hopefully we don't have further problems. But if there is trouble between you and Darrel, and you end up getting in passed your curfew, you're off the hook, so don't worry about that." he told me and I nodded in relief at the news.

"Whatever happens between you and Darrel is being thrown out the window, if they try anything, because you were hanging out with the girls son, boys." he told me and I nodded. "Yes Sir, but we found him, Bob Sheldon is the one that did it to Johnny and..." I started to say and I saw the corvair with the driver looking at us in shock. "There's your perp in my case, that's them." I said and he looked out the window and said it sternly.

"I get anymore phone calls on you guys attacking these kids and your asses are ending up in court and the reformatory yourselves for 18 months, is that clear?!" he snapped and they nodded quickly and left then. "Curly and Derek took care of it, but they just gave a warning to their side about us, try it again and on our territory and they're toast, Chief." I said and he nodded to me gently at the news as he said it then.

"Merril blew the door off the hinges, it blew it, again." I said to the chief and he nodded with a bemused smile. "Alright I'm checking into it, but Buck seriously man, you keep this up and you're going to destroy a truck next if the blast causes a chain reaction next." he said and we nodded with a chuckle. "We're ready for the immediate phone call if you guys come looking for him at the moment, Keith." he said and Two-bit nodded to him gently at that.

"Eric is ready for that phone call, but you better get home now, and we'll see you in the morning guys." he said and we nodded to him gently at that as we headed for home as the wind started picking up then as he said it to me. "What's he talking about Pony?" he asked and I said it. "They're ready to run these guys in for attacking me and Syme threw them to the wolves." I said and he nodded with a bemused smile to that news then.

"So what happens next is not on us, but Bob and Randy if they attack you guys, okay got it." he said and we nodded. "Hancock and Ryan were in the concession stand, and Hancock traded places with Carl Parker." I said and he nodded smiling. "Makes sense, they look alike right now, that once he switches clothes back he's carrying a copy of his clerk's uniform when he comes by tomorrow." he said and I nodded in agreement then smiling.

"Boy, those are two of the best-looking girls I've ever seen." he said and I nodded to that. "Yeah." I said as he stuck a piece of paper in his mouth and then spat it out then. "What was that?" I asked and he sighed as he answered me. "Marcia's number. Probably a phoney one, too. I must have been out of my mind to ask for it. Girl like that would never go out with me, anyway." he said and I sighed as he went further at that.

"Where are y'all going?" he asked and I said as we reached just outside of Johnny's house then as I said it. "Home." I said as a hat blew by us and he went to grab it. "Whoa!" he said and we chuckled as he said it smiling. "Here! I got me a new hat!" he said as I heard the shouting from inside the house. "You're crazy!" I said and he said it to me gently. "I don't why I handed you that busted bottle." he said as he finished it gently at that.

"You never would have used it." he said and I shrugged. "I don't know, I might have, where you headed?" I asked as the door slammed shut as he said it then. "I don't know. Maybe I'll go play snooker or get drunk. I'll see you later!" he said and I nodded smiling as I called out back to him. "OK!" I said as Johnny made a split second decision then firmly as the fight was loud enough to that we exchanged looks then.

"I hate when my folks are fighting. Let's go to the lot." he said and I nodded as we headed for our gang's private spot in our neighborhood, as I said up a fire and then settled, as I looked at the starts as he leaned against me to keep me warm. "It was because we're Greasers, Pone. Might have hurt her reputation or something, that's all. Don't worry about it." he said and I nodded with a sigh as I answered him then gently at that remark

"Yeah, I guess so." I said as I knew if this lead in the same direction these guys we dealt with were going to attack us, and I was sick of the hassle, I was sick of their attitude, all I wanted was to return to when my parents were alive, and us doing what we used to on weekends now. "Man, that was a tough car, huh? Mustangs, they're tough." he said and that did it as I sat up and put more into the fire, so it didn't go out then.

"Big-time Socs, all right. It's always the same." I said as I slammed the stick against the car shaft then as I put some more grass and dry paper into the fire, as he finally said my thoughts out loud then. "I can't take much more of this, Ponyboy! I'll... I'll kill myself or something! I don't know!" he said, shaking through uncontrolled sobs, and I knew he missed my parents as I much as I did then as I said it then.

As I wrapped my arm across his shoulders then. "Don't talk like that, Johnny. Come on. You can't kill yourself." I said and he said it shaking then. "I've gotta do something..., Oh, God. It seems... It seems like there's gotta be someplace without Greasers and Socs. There must be someplace... ...with just plain ordinary people. People." he said and I nodded as I left my head against his shoulder as I answered him then.

"It's like that out in the country, away from all the big towns, in the country." I said as I dreamed about the last trip up there, before the accident , as I saw my parents faces, before the collision with the train as it hit with a loud crash then. As it ended at that, as Johnny shook me awake then as he said it then "Ponyboy! Pony, wake up! Come on!" he said as I sat up then as I said it to him at that remark quickly then.

"God! What time is it?" I asked and he sighed as he answered me."I don't know. I went to sleep, too. You better get home, all right? I'm gonna stay all night out here. Who'll care anyway?" he said and I nodded as I answered him then as I sighed. "All right. If you get cold, come on to my house." I told him and he nodded to me. "Yeah, all right." he said and I sighed as I knew what Darry's reaction was going to be.

"What is Darry gonna say?" I said shaking, knowing, he was not going to like this right now, as I headed home and as I heard someone's talk was barking right now, as opened the gate and went up, hoping Darry was asleep, but no such look as I saw Darry sitting in dad's old arm chair right then, as the phone went off. "Yeah, it's Darry. Yeah. Bye." he said as he hung it up and I sighed as I walked in, he looked up and slammed the paper down.

"Where the hell have you been? Do you know what time it is?" he asked and I shook my head as I leaned against the wall as he read it out then firmly. "Well it's two o'clock in the morning, kiddo." he said as his tone woke up Soda then. "Hey Pony, where have you been?" he asked and I said it as I headed for the bathroom then. "I feel asleep in the lot." I said and Darry said it in shock at that remark then.

"You what?!" he said sharply and I repeated it to him. "I was talking to Johnny. And I fell asleep in the lot. I didn't mean to." I said and sighed. 'Darry please, we can talk in the morning, but not now, I had a bad night, please bro, please.' I thought as I wiped the tears off my face then as he slammed the door open then as he said it then, concerned fury at this as he answered me then as he said it then.

"And I can't even call the cops because you two would be thrown in boys' home so fast, it would make your head spin!" he said and I was trying to control my own temper that he didn't realize where was this was going to lead if this continues. "Come on, Pony. Let's go to bed now." Soda said to me, as I pyut the towel up. "Look, I said I didn't mean to!" I said and that did it finally as he lashed out that remark

"I didn't mean to!" "I forgot, that's all I ever hear from you." he snapped and Soda tried to get a word in edgewise then. "Come on, Darry..." he started to say and he lashed out at that. "Shut up, I'm sick and tired of you sticking up for him!" he snapped and I went off on him at that. "Don't you yell at him!" I said and in one fluid motion he shoved me and I tripped over the rug and landed on hard the floor at that.

"Ponyboy! I didn't mean to!" he called out to me as I quickly got up and pulled the door open as I took off then...

**Darry's POV:**

Looking out the door as my brother took off, my other brother moved to me. "What did you do that for, that wasn't necessary right now, come on we got to find him. If something else happened tonight we got trouble." Soda said to me and I nodded as we left the house at that, looking around then, I felt my heart sinking at this.

I heard the voice of a member of our gang call out to me. "Darry, Soda what's wrong?!" Two-bit Matthews shouted out to me. "Pony took off on us after a fight tonight." I said and his face paled as he ran to us as he answered me. "There are only two Socs that would have it out for me and the duo, but they're driving a blue mustang, Darry."

"Long story short, after the girls left their boyfriends, because they brought the booze with them, Dally was bothering them and they asked the duo to sit up with them. To protect them from any other guys like Shepard and his gang, after leaving the drive in. We saw the car following us and the duo got out of it." he told me and I nodded in shock.

"Darry, the cops already waved off his getting late." he added and I nodded quickly as I realized what caused my reaction and his. "That's what he was trying to tell us, all of this was a trap, for these Socs?!" I said sharply and he nodded. "Yeah exactly, Syme set a trap and with him the cops, the doctor and the judge, they're all drunk, these Socs, but we found the ones who did Johnny." he said and I nodded as I said it sternly to that.

"The girls were the bait, Cherry is too old for him and she likes Dally, Marcia, her friend is matched to me." he told me and I nodded. "Cherry, what's her last name?" I asked and he said it then. "Cherry Valance, her name is Cherry Valance, Marcia is Marcia Carter, their fathers are both lawyers." he said and I nodded to him. "Yeah okay, so what about the Socs that attacked Johnny." I asked and Soda nodded in agreement.

"What, who was it?!" Soda said for me and he said it with a growl. "The bastards were the ones that attacked Johnny." he snapped and we nodded. "We just found them finally it was them, the girlfriend is the one who connected to us?" I asked him and he nodded to me. "Yeah she's just like Pony, but he told her everything, but these guys are as dangerous as Brumly or the Sheppards when drunk." he said and I nodded to him.

"It gets better, the police set up a trap and these idiots are about to fall right into it." he told me and I nodded in shock. "The remark on police trouble got re-directed as they're trying to prevent these idiots from splitting us up because of their idiocy?" I said and he nodded. "Yeah, Syme, his coach and the police decided on this and Hancock and Ryan were at the concession stand." he said and we nodded to the news at the remark.

"Were you with the duo the entire time?" I asked and he nodded. "Yeah I was, but it was clear to me he was crazy jealous at the moment. She made it clear, she was never going with him when he's drunk, but he insulted us and it started turning into a stand off. Before she broke it up, but he gave a threat to us." he told me and I nodded firmly.

"Names?" I asked and he quickly said it to me. "Bob Sheldon and Randy Anderson, they warned us they'd come after us, for picking up their girlfriends, we found them finally, it was them, Johnny." he said and I nodded as Soda said it in a furious tone. "Damn it, first Darry and then these guys try to start something with my brother, he must have emotionally exhausted after you guys traded insults with each other."

"Nothing ever changes and he's ready to explode, that's the gist?" Soda asked him and he nodded. "Before mom and dad died, it's we made just enough we could have decent clothes and look better then we do right now. So white trash is it, if that's enough to insult us right now and I know Pony is going to reverse that, but they're white trash."

"They don't feel anything and we feel too violently, he finally said what we were all thinking about them. He finally said what he needed to say since mom and dad died buddy." I said and he nodded. "Yeah that's my thought too, he's been holding in so long that he's emotionally exhausted, as a result he fell asleep, thinking about it too much."

"That explains the reason he said that, that he fell asleep in the lot." Soda said and I nodded in agreement. "Well that's enough to top off a perfect night right now, alright, alright think, think, if he decided to calm down. And then he would head for..., the park, though if these Socs followed them, then they need our help..., at the park, they're at the park, come on." I said and he nodded as we charged there quickly.


	3. 2) The Attack And Story Changes

**Brothers**

**Characters: Ponyboy Curtis, Johnny Cade, Dallas Winston, Darry Curtis, Soda Curtis, Steve Randle, Two-Bit Matthews, Cherry Valance, Randy Anderson, Bob Sheldon**

**Time-line: After the movie and the fight**

**Synopsis: After the fight between Ponyboy and Darry, Darry, Soda, Steve and Two-bit go looking for Johnny and Ponyboy and arrive in time to prevent Bob's death. As the situation that night reveals added consequences, for the gang.**

**Disclaimers: The Outsiders do not belong to me, the story belongs to me, the characters and everything else belongs to the author and the movie conpany.**

**Warnings: The story is being placed after the fight and after he heads for Johnny, but instead of the things that happen the story is having the entire gang at the church. The following Friday after school as he was recovering from the attack. And the near drowning now as they saved the kids and Bob survives the fight.**

**It's also going to be a what if, if Cherry parents made the decision to sponser the Curtis brothers by being their adopted parents for several years. Before Pony got out of school and got into College, as she becomes their sister. And she breaks it off with Bob and starts dating Dally now after that.**

**And this story is going to be in Darry's point of view from the second Ponyboy leaves the house.**

**Chapter 2: Looking For Ponyboy And The Fight**

**The Warning, The Fight And The Attack I-Ponyboy's POV:**

Running till I got to vacant lot, I collapsed and Johnny quickly sat up. "What?" he asked and I said it him quickly. "Come on, Johnny! We're running away!" I said as we ran for another 10 blocks as I stopped as he brushed my arm. "Take it easy, Pony. It will be all right. You just have to cool it, man." he said softly and I said it. "Got a cigarette, Johnny? I'm scared to death." I said and he nodded gently to me as he said it then.

"Well, don't be, man. You're scaring me. What happened?" he asked and I said it shaking at the reaction. "Darry hit me! I swear we used to get along fine until Mum and Dad died. Now he can't stand me!" I said trying to control my voice as I lit up and he said it gently to that. "I think I like it better when the old man's hitting me. At least he knows I'm there." he said and I sighed as I said it to him then gently at that.

"Let's walk to the park and back. Maybe I'll cool off enough to go home." I said and he nodded. "Yeah, all right." he said and I thought it softly. "Things have to get better, they can't get any worse' I thought softly to what had been happened lately..., I was wrong, but as we headed for the park as I was half frozen then "Ain't you about to freeze to death?" he asked and I nodded as I answered him then quickly at that.

"You're ain't a' woofin'." I said as we reached the jungle gym as I climbed up it and Johnny came up a second later. "Pony! Pony, got a light? Found this butt, man." he said as I nodded. "Yeah, here you go, Johnny." I said giving it to him and I looked up as I saw a familiar car and nodded. "Uh-oh. Look what's coming. This is our territory." I said and he nodded. "I bet they're looking for us." he said as we straightened as he said it.

"Wanna split?" he asked and I said it quickly then "Stay cool." I told him as they got out of the car as I saw them leaning forward and knew they were all wasted then. "Well, well, well. What do you guys know?" Bob said with a smirk. "They're drunk." I said softly and he nodded as I saw his hand. "It's that guy with the rings, man." he told me in response as he started to yank his switchblade then

"Aren't these the Greasers who tried to pick up our women?" Bob asked and Johnny said it for me at that with a warning tone. "You guys are out of your territory. You guys better watch it." he said with a warning tone and Randy said it back to us with a growl. "No, pal. You better watch it." he said and took a fast drag and blew it out as Johnny and I got down as we looked at them firmly at that.

"You guys know what Greasers are? White trash with long greasy hair." he said and threw a splash of his canteen at me as the guy behind him chuckled. "You know what a Soc is?" I said in response as I said what our entire group then. "What?" Randy asked me and I said it sharply. "White trash with Mustangs and madras." I snapped and spit at them as we took off and they started chasing us then at that.

"Get 'em!" he shouted and as we headed passed the fountain. "Johnny run man, run!" I shouted out to him as they grabbed me then and pulled me over backwards on to the fountain as I realized they were about to try drowning me as I shouted out to him quickly. "Johnny, guys help, Darry, Soda help!" I shouted out as Johnny tried to get up and the guy kicked him then as he grabbed his jacket then.

"Stay down, pal!" he said as I was making it as hard as I could for them to dunk me in as I shifted sideways. "Chuck him!" Randy said and my positioning caused Bob to fall in and he said it with a growl. "Son of of bitch" he said as he said it to Randy as I struggled to kick my legs. "Grab his arms! Right down!" he said as he dunked and pulled me up as I was trying to cough up the water then, before he said it then.

"Did somebody get a drink for this Greaser, huh? Come on! Have a drink, pal!" he said dumping the canteen on me, before they held me down longer, before pulling me up as I blacked out then in the second dunk then...

**The Assault And Rescue-Darry's POV:**

As I heard the scream for help from my baby brother that did it then, as I ran in that direction in time to hear a splash, and we charged in. "Let him go, you bastard!" I snapped as I grabbed the guy that had my baby brother by the coat and punched him in the face then as he fell to the ground. As Johnny slashed the blonde haired guy across the arm and I knew he hit a vein.

As blood started running across the pavement, as the quintet took off and I laid my brother on the sidewalk next to the fountain. "Pony, Pony wake up, come on." I said as Soda quickly started CPR and then that did it as he started coughing up water. As we turned him on his side. "It's okay, it's okay Pony, I'm right here, it's okay, you're safe now." I said and he looked into my eyes as I knew he was shaken up.

Before burrowing into my arms, shaking. "Boy am I glad to see you guys, yesterday was enough, this is too much right now." he said shaking in fear and from the cold. "That water is freezing right now and it's the middle of October right now." I said and he nodded as I gripped the back of his neck and he buried his head into my shoulder then and we nodded. "There's the cub in him, what happened?" Soda asked and he explained it to us.

'The chief..., the chief set a trap for these guys, reverse psychology, they take the bait and they're done." Pony told me and I nodded to the news. "Syme asked you about your cheek and your neck yesterday, before class let out huh?" Soda asked and he nodded to him. "Yeah, and the coach, Syme and the chief set a trap, so anyone targets us one last time, they're the ones getting it now, self defense." he said and we nodded as Johnny said it then.

"My provocation was their trigger, but they were about to drown me for that insult, I wanted them to lose control, but just 14, I'm a month passed my birthday, and they're all seniors in high school." he said and I nodded to him. "Eighteen or 17?" I asked and he said it then. "They're all 18, but I'm only 14, they're adults, this is the end of the line as it gets to Cherry, Marcia and their parents." he said and I nodded to him gently at that.

"Cherry is the redhead, Marcia is the brunette, she and Two-bit connected, but Cherry is like me and Soda." he said and I nodded to the news gently at that remark. "The chief and social services are going to let it go over what happened between us Darry, the more immediate problem is them preventing these idiots from splitting us up now." he said and we nodded in relief at the news as I ran my hand through his hair gently at that.

"They tried to drown him, they were going to kill him and..., and they were going to beat me up." Johnny said shaking and I nodded. "Would have if we hadn't shown up when we did, then that laceration. It would turn into something else, but this was self defense, so we got a chance to prevent a murder charge." Two-bit said as he crouched next to me and pulled him against him to warm him up at that.

"Guys look!" Johnny said and they looked down as they saw the canteen. "There we go, now we got evidence, murder/suicide job, you don't drink anyway." I snapped as I grabbed the canteen then and sniffed it. "Whiskey, they're drunk and tried to make it look like you passed out and fell in the fountain." Two-bit said with a low growl at that and I nodded.

"Two-bit told us everything, was this what caused you to fall asleep at the lot. You were thinking about it too much, you were dreaming about mom and dad?" I asked and he nodded to me shaking in grief. "It's not enough that mom and dad are gone, but then we having these guys jumping us and when they're not around to protect me anymore."

"I miss them so much." he said shaking in grief and I pulled him deeper into my arms at that as he buried his head into my shoulder. "It's okay, it's okay, we're here now, they're not laying another on you if I have anything to say about it." I said softly and he looked into my eyes. "Darry I'm sorry." he said and I closed my eyes tightly at that remark.

Tightening my arms around him, I finally said what I needed to say. "You're my baby brother, I'm trying to get enough so we can put you through college. And one scholarship is not enough to hack it, we need to get your SAT's that test is enough to do it. Both together are enough to get you into college, but you can succeed where I didn't."

"Can't give up, we got four years left of school in your case, you have a chance in where I didn't finally, it's been a few months. But whatever he told you last night, he's right, I'm scared out of my mind I'm going to lose you now, like we lost them. I can't take losing anyone else I love now, baby." I told him and he nodded as he buried his head then.

"You're all that matters to me baby, I'm not losing you after losing mom and dad, this is why I sound like this, I can't take losing anyone else I love." I said into his ear and he nodded and buried his head into my neck as I rocked him back and forth then. "Damn it, though just turned 14, he's still a cub, not even into his teen years, he still needs us." Johnny said and I nodded as the four of us exchanged looks then.

"Well Dally's going to kill these guys if this keeps up, he loves you, and you and Pony are who he's closest to." I said to that and he nodded as we exchanged looks. "That gun better be empty as I'm not having him land himself in jail for attempted robbery, if he loses his temper." Two-bit said and I nodded in agreement to that.

As Soda moved to us at that and we went into a three way hug at that as Two-bit and Johnny sighed in relief at that confession. "Whatever that theme is that Syme gives you for class, just alter the second half of it. From chapter 5 to the end of the story, creative writing assignment, the second half is fiction now." Two-bit said and I nodded to his idea.

"Who's blood is that, if he got him, just as you took the guy holding me?" Pony said shaking and Johnny answered that. "I got the second guy, that had you, across the arm, and they took off after the guys arrived." he said and Pony nodded shaking. "Now what exactly, we can't go to the hospital without the rest of the story coming out right now."

"Not a murder maybe, but still this is enough to get the cops up here." he said shaking and I nodded in agreement. "Like you said Darry, we can't call the cops, or they're going to break us up. But first mom and dad, and now this, how much more can we take exactly, I'm sorry." he said and I sighed as I answered him softly at that remark gently.

"God just imagine the side effects, mom and dad would sue these guys for this, they're all close to 18." I said and they nodded. "You're no older then 14 and they're college age, they're adults damn it, that's enough to put them behind bars, and if dad was alive. He would kill Sheldon for trying to drown you right now, and as you don't drink or take drugs." I said and he nodded in agreement that remark.

"No they are 18." Pony told me and I nodded sternly. "And I'm 20, but you're my responsibility, do they expect me to put up with this any longer, they nearly killed you twice in two days right now damn it. Alright that's enough of this, Uncle Jeremy's going to kill them if this keeps up right now, but Two-bit told me everything." I said and he nodded as I said it then, knowing we had to fix this between us now finally.

"I'm the one that is sorry, I shouldn't have done that, we're a new family baby, but I'm not losing you again, brother. We better just get the guys, if there's a place to stay in wherever Dally would have sent you. Well we spend the weekend there for the next two days, till things cool down, but this crossed a line." I said and they nodded to that.

"Though this results in a repeater, and all over town it's Soc's against Grease, but this just made it clear. We can't walk alone anymore or we're going to get jumped, and you need time to rest, come on we're going home, Johnny you too." I said and they nodded as I helped my brother stand then as he dunked the blade into the fountain.

Just to clean it, as we headed for home, as Soda got on the phone and contacted Steve at that. "Darry these were the guys that did that to me a few months ago, Bob is the Soc that caused that scar on my cheek." he said and I nodded. "Better me then telling Dally after he said he'd get the guy for that scar." I said and and the duo nodded to me.

"Pony get changed, you need to get into dry clothes, you too Johnny, you're staying with us until further notice." Soda said and they nodded as Dally and Steve ran in the door. "Jeez, what happened to you guys?" Dally said in shock and I explained that to him. "The girl you tried to pick up, her boyfriend attacked them tonight and with him."

"Was her best friend's boyfriend and three other guys in the car, looks like we found our Soc that barely killed Johnny three months ago." I said and Dally nodded angrily. "Johnny slashed him across the arm, so no need to give him any more injuries. But we need some advice right now, we're going camping this weekend right now, you in, man."

"This area that you would have send the duo, we can stay there for the weekend." I said and he shook his head and I knew he was too furious to think straight then. "Everybody lock the damn door, we're staying here for the night, then in the morning. We head out and out to Windrixville." Dally said and I nodded to the idea gently at that.

Before Sheppard and his gang also arrived. "Alright what happened now, and if was the group I just told off they're all dead." Curly said and I said it sternly. "The bastards never took your warning seriously, and attacked them both a second time Curly." I said and he nodded in disgusted shock. "Who was it exactly?" he asked and I said it. "It's the quintet that attacked Johnny a few months ago." I said and he nodded sternly to me at that.

"They took the bait and just attacked us." Pony told him and he nodded to the news in anger at that remark. "Well your coach is going to kill them for this, Syme said they attack you one last time and he's throwing them behind bars, but you better tell him now. And before they try to turn this around right now, but another fight broke out after school and he called me and Two-bit over." Steve told him and he nodded to the news then.

"Issues with being a gang, they know who in friends you're connected to, that he also knows you're my brother's best friend." Pony said and he nodded. "We weren't walking alone, Steve, Dal, this was the sheep lead in trick." he added and the duo nodded. "So they're letting it go in our case, but the Socs just got busted for nearly killing you and not like the way they did Johnny?" Dal asked him and he nodded as Curly said it to him

"Alright now its war, we had it with this, I said they ever touched him or Cade again, and they were in deep shit right now. But right after you chased 'em off, we did the rest, but if you hadn't done it, well then we would have Curtis." he said and I nodded in agreement. "Well your warning just turned into a promise right now, but thanks man for the help." I told him and he nodded as Dally came to a decision then sternly at that.

"Call his principal on Monday, we're doing out of school attendance right, until the situation has cooled down, so with these guys in the school with him. He's safer when I'm around to protect him, with the rest of you are at work or school until school is out." he said and I nodded to him as I looked at the duo who had scared looks on their faces.

"You or me to protect him, yeah I agree with you, but I had it with these jerks, they crossed the line, and we can do it again. And next Friday, so if there's trouble then, we can have the story say that we saved a bunch of kids from some sort of problem. Before it gets worse right now, it's the individual, but we could get a chance to prove it and we're out of trouble." I said and he nodded in agreement to that.

"Maybe he would do it, maybe Sheldon wouldn't have, a member of their gang would, another wouldn't, but we would do it in a heartbeat. We're not looking for a fight, but a place to belong, but enough already, just because we don't have much doesn't mean, now. That we can't be just as good as they are, just watch it with the smokes." Soda said and we all nodded in agreement to that as we exchanged looks with our counterpart gang.

"You just read my mind, it's the individual, for once we can step out of how everyone sees us, just give us a chance for once. That we can prove we can be like like everyone, as our idol is just like us, but he's a rockstar, but we can be decent. Step out of that image and save the lives of a group of children, we show that for once we can be assets to society." Pony said and I nodded in agreement to that remark then.

"I think we can all agree with that remark?" I asked and Tim nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but treat us like this and we're sticking to that image, but give us a chance and we can prove we can good members to the town. So just give us a chance to prove it now, but our one rule is, aside from stick together, is don't get caught right now, and these idiots did just that, Hancock was at the drive in." he told me and I nodded in shock to the news.

"Who else was, if you guys were pretending after the car tires were destroyed?" Soda asked and he explained that to him. "Ryan, and four more officers, but the chief set the trap and they walked right into it, we were acting as junior undercover cops." Tim told us and we smiled in relief at the news. "Oh there is no getting out of this now right now." Two-bit said to the news and I nodded as Tim crossed his arms sternly at that.

"Curly called out to us, this is what you meant by that Curly?" Pony asked and he nodded to him. "Yeah after the fight at the Dingo, he told us what he had in mind, and we're ending this right now. But he gave me a chance, but we're getting off the thin ice catch, but our records are close to being sealed. As these idiots just barely triggered a felony, that's it, but we're not doing this anymore." he told me and I nodded in agreement to that.

"We never started the fight, and I warned them try it again and they were screwed, they're all seniors in high school, Cade and Pony are both under age still. He heard the entire thing between your brother and the Soc that attacked him's girlfriend." Curly told me and I nodded to the news. "She knows who it is, but he just did it again and this time nearly killed them both, there is no way in hell they're getting out of this now."

"That was my spare set of tires man, but you owe me a new pair Dal." Tim said and I nodded in relief to the news, and Dally nodded to him and we exchanged looks at this. "These idiots are going to get it once they're all sober, but Syme and the cops, let alone Porter, your coach kid, set this up. Just to prevent you guys from being split up in case they crossed the line tonight." Parker said and Pony nodded to the news in relief as I sighed in relief.

"Hold that thought I got to make a phone call right now, as I barely saw this guy lying dead in front of me right now, though how Syme takes the report. Is anyone's guess, if this was a murder, as this basically threw you to the wolves." he told me and I nodded sternly. "That was an accident that is not happening again right now, I just had the life scared out of me tonight." I told him and he nodded gently to me at that.

"And we're sticking around tonight, before the redhead and her parents arrive, as she sees me and Derek a second time." Curly said and I nodded. "You tell them what happened, after the trio left the Dingo?" I asked and he nodded. "Yeah, we're off on warning, but we're not about to let this get out of control, Pon' told me to take outside so she and her friend don't end up in the middle." he told me and I nodded as Pony changed subjects.

"Trying to keep the fight from getting too close, they had it next to my car, before the hitchhiker, pulled the blade." Jimmy Owens said and I nodded to the news then. "I think that the guy thought we were part of their gang, when he pulled the blade." Johnny said and I nodded to the news. "And not stealing it, we were checking the model of the bike, so we can buy one for ourselves in a year or so." Tim finished and I nodded to him then.

"We know that, but he doesn't understand, we're lower middle class, working at making ends meet, but just because we look like this, doesn't we're not as good as they are. But the author I send this to, is no older then Dally, so I can write it and send it to her and it becomes a hit after that." he said and we nodded as I answered him then gently at the remark at that.

"The change up is that it was not he was injured, but the knife hit a vital organ and they left him and took off after he did it as they dropped me and ran. Our next problem is a said good deed, but three of us someone is going to get hurt if we don't break the other window. But in the process Johnny gets hurt and Dally's arm gets scorched, but for me, I was starting to suffering from the repeated blows."

"Till the fight next week puts me in the hospital after the final blow to the head." he said and the duo and Two-bit nodded. "Yeah good idea right now, first Sheldon and you see his dead body there and then see me getting gunned after losing who I love like a brother, though I had you still." Dally said and I nodded in agreement. "Till our talk tonight comes out a few weeks later." Soda said and we nodded in agreement to that.

"Yeah, alright stand by." he said and we nodded, though just as he was doing it the phone went off then. "Yeah, hey doctor yeah they attacked us and Johnny got him across the arm right now, why..., crazed jealousy and they're drunk, yeah exactly. But the cops gave them a warning and as did my counterpart gang member, the Sheppards, yeah exactly, alright see your soon." he said and hung it up then as he looked at us.

"The chief phoned them, ahead of time, before these idiots went to the hospital." he told us and they nodded sternly. "So none of these idiots realize they walked right into a sting operation, and they're getting charged for attacking a kid not even out of his early teens yet?" Dally asked and he nodded. "Yep, it's bounced from Syme, to the cops, to the hospital, and right to the judge and social services."

"So get ready it's going to get nasty." he said and we nodded as he dialed a number then and said it gently. "Hey Mr. Syme, listen about the creative writing project, the report about to come out is going to look like it needs to be reported. But what happened tonight was an accident..., yeah, what happened, you know of Bob Sheldon and his gang, I got two names from his gang aside himself: Dave and Randy now."

"How did I get their names, their girlfriends were hanging around with us after they caught them in the act of sneaking alcohol into the drive in. That we all were at tonight, Two-Bit, Johnny and I were walking the girls home from the movies, and these guys saw us and were in shock. That they left them to hang around with us, since they were loaded..., what happened next exactly, well you can see this as attempted murder now."

"Cherry and Marcia asked us to sit up in their row with them to protect them from anymore guys after Dally was flirting with her. Yeah no kidding, that's what happened, before Two-bit joined us and I heard from him that Sheppard had his tires destroyed, but that did it..., he was still holding in his anger. At how close these guys came to killing me, the night before, yeah that explains the cut and bruise on my neck and cheek."

"Your sting operation worked like a charm." he said and then smiled as he answered him. "Whoever was in the opposite car at the moment, they weren't Sheldon and Anderson right now, but I got three names off these guys. And we found the idiots that attacked Johnny four months ago, it was Sheldon and his gang." he said and nodded as he answered his question then gently as our gangs exchanged looks then.

"The guys were pissed at this that the duo were deciding on becoming my personal bodyguards, well that just hit the table tonight. Two-bit, Darry and Soda just had to save us from another one, and yeah this time it was Sheldon and his friends..., Yeah, yeah, that's it exactly. I just got jumped by Sheldon and his gang and my brothers rescued me and Johnny." he said and he smiled in relief as he answered him then.

"You know me and my brothers, my gang, we never get in trouble of that level, though Dal gets in trouble once too often." he said and Dally ruffled his hair gently at that remark and he smiled as he answered him then. "The creative writing from the second half of the story is going to be a what if the guys never came after us and headed it off..., Johnny got him across the arm with his switch.., yeah we found them, it was him."

"It was them, but this was due to crazed jealousy and these idiots were drunk as well right now as well, we get an emergency next week, before the week ends. And it's going all over town as my gang did a good deed right now, as it gets all over the state." he said and nodded to the remark firmly. "Yeah sure." he said and turned to me. "He wants to talk to you." he said and I nodded and took the phone as I said it gently at that.

"Added panic attack, I reacted without thinking because I already lost our parents and these idiots attacked him on Thursday when he was headed home. And from the movie theater, so once was enough in my eyes, before they attacked him tonight and barely missed killing him... yeah that's it. Alright thank you Sir, we appreciate that, yeah sure if she wants to help, that works." I said as I passed it back to him then gently at that.

"Yeah, I can have it ready, before the end of the term and it's ready, but I got a few things to do, but trust me this has them being arrested. And for attempted murder at the moment,but we fought back in self defense, so this has them looking like a bunch of murderers. Yes Sir, we never did a thing for them to attack us, just hang around with their girlfriends." he said and he nodded gently to whatever was said then at that.

"Two-Bit, he wants it from you, as you were acting on being our guardian, before we separated tonight." he said and Two-bit nodded and took the phone as he explained it then. "Hey Sir, yeah, what happened was that after the movie, I offered to drive them home, and we headed for my house to grab my car. And we were talking, about half way through the conversation Cherry alerted me and Marcia we had company."

"Before the car pulled up and I asked who they were, before the blonde looked like he was in shock as he asked her first and I got his name as Bob, as she made it clear. That she was not going out with him and Marcia with his buddy when they're drinking, before Marcia's boyfriend, she called him Randy. Insulted us, and made a threat to us, as I took charge and made it clear: that touch the guys and he was in big trouble."

"As our gang outnumbered them 7 to 5 and we're completely sober, and knowing if we had someone overhearing the fight they were being arrested. As we were ready to defend ourselves here, as she ended the fight at that, and he threw another one at me and I warned him don't try it. Or he was being arrested, as the attack ended up in our territory as a result, and they tried to drown Pony as well as tried it again with Johnny."

"But Darry, Soda and I arrived in time..., it was close, we arrived any later, they could have killed him and Johnny got Bob across the arm and they took off, Darry and I got his heart beating again, but if he catches something and it develops into pneumonia or worse right now." he said and nodded as he said it then. "Yeah that's it exactly Sir, we never did a thing for them to attack us, we were being gentlemen with the girls."

"Yeah, after the movie, we were walking the girls home from the drive-in, halfway through the conversation Cherry spotted Anderson's car trailing us and warned us of who they were. Before the duo arrived, started a fight with us, and then threw a threat at us, about half an hour ago, they attacked the guys at the park and tried to drown Pony in the fountain right now." he said and nodded in relief at the remark.

"Alright thanks, we're leaving in the morning, if you and the cops, let alone Cherry's father want to interview us, where are we going. First trip back to the country since the Curtis's were killed after the accident, we need time and frankly he's still shaken up right now. Yeah, love him like a brother, I'm not losing him anymore then the guys want to right now." he said as he looked at Pony and I knew he was thinking it the same way.

"Sure we can do that before we leave, alright thanks." he said and I sighed in relief at the remark and passed it to me. "You got enough on this to have them arrested and thrown in the cooler for a year, alright thank you, see you in the morning Sir." I said and we hung it up at that as I sighed in relief at the remark. "Boy is he furious, if he came to investigate this himself, he's ready to kill." I said and Pony nodded to the news firmly at that.

"I'm his favorite student, so why not exactly, but once he heard the report, if you never came looking for us, he and the state would take it the wrong way. But now that he did, issues in being the youngest of the gang, and with it the way I am, you guys all get overly protective in this case. But the poem he had me doing in class comes to mind, I'm still trying to work that out right now." he said and we nodded as Johnny looked at him softly then.

"I'm legally an adult, so I was responsible for you guys, and leaving you so you could head home, I should have stayed with you tonight, buddy." Two-bit said and I nodded. "I'm starting to wish you did, as five on five is more then enough as we're all sober." I told him and he nodded in agreement. "Well we're off the hook, he's reporting this to the cops later, what the heck was Eric doing if the chief arrived?" Soda asked and Dal hid a chuckle as he said it.


	4. 3) Weekend Plans And Court Sponsors

**Brothers**

**Characters: Ponyboy Curtis, Johnny Cade, Dallas Winston, Darry Curtis, Soda Curtis, Steve Randle, Two-Bit Matthews, Cherry Valance, Randy Anderson, Bob Sheldon**

**Time-line: After the movie and the fight**

**Synopsis: After the fight between Ponyboy and Darry, Darry, Soda, Steve and Two-bit go looking for Johnny and Ponyboy and arrive in time to prevent Bob's death. As the situation that night reveals added consequences, for the gang.**

**Disclaimers: The Outsiders do not belong to me, the story belongs to me, the characters and everything else belongs to the author and the movie company.**

**Warnings: The story is being placed after the fight and after he heads for Johnny, but instead of the things that happen the story is having the entire gang at the church. The following Friday after school as he was recovering from the attack. And the near drowning now as they saved the kids and Bob survives the fight.**

**And this story is going to be in Darry's point of view from the second Ponyboy leaves the house.**

**Chapter 3: Weekend Plans And Truths**

"We had a Mexican hitchhiker buy a tank of gas and Eric's gang was checking out his bike, as we were talking to Joe and Ian, when the fight started, before the blades came out and I spotted the Chief arriving as I told the guys we had to leave now, or we're busted." he said and we nodded. "Great, we need anymore reason they got a quite the record on you Dal, but you've got to clean up your act, you got a year left."

"Alright Chapter 4 to the end of the story is going alternate reality now, as it's a what if now starting now, so we weren't going camping this weekend. We came to you Dal, you got enough for us to make it for a week, as you waited for the coast to be clear as you filled us in right now. Before taking us out for lunch, and we came back to find the church on fire, and instead of waiting for the fire department arriving, we did it."

"As instead of someone ending up in the hospital for another injury, as a result of the fire causing it to land on someone, it's getting the kids out, before the damn thing caves in now. But half getting the kids out, the other is ready in case of trouble, as we got to clear it out now." Pony said and Johnny nodded in agreement. "Creative writing assignment, that's good, instead of us ending up in the hospital for a minor burn now."

"The cave in broke my back, but to Dally, you and I are the only thing he loves that losing us both is too much." he said and Dally nodded in agreement to that remark. "That we get back at them for landing you in the hospital and we're close to losing you. Before I commit suicide by cop with an unloaded handgun." he said and Pony wrote that down.

"And finally, I end up in the hospital myself after ending with a damn concussion next next and after two losses the quartet are scared out of their minds in my case. But I had it right now with these guys, I hate them as much as you do and I reached my limit." he said as he wrote down the changes of the story and I nodded as Johnny said it to him.

"Don't change man, you see things in a different way, but we're kids, we're still innocent something like this happens, leaves us traumatized and it takes away our innocence. But I don't want you to change, stay gold man, stay gold." he told him and he nodded as he hugged him tightly and and we nodded gently as Dally, Two-bit and I exchanged looks.

"Still in shock?" he asked and Pony nodded as he was shaking in fear and we sighed at that. "Any closer and it's not just a laceration, I'd be staring at his dead body this time. Thursday was more then enough, but this is too much right now, they finally crossed the line this time, and you know I don't drink either. But honestly, what makes them think that they're not going to get it this time finally, you saved me this time."

"What's it going to take to get the message across, these guys are rich, but if mom and dad were alive, they would sue them for nearly killing me tonight. And they would plan to ask for adoption rights in the case of you, Johnny, but these guys owe us a few hundred thousand, each in damages. And you know he's right, if we were smart tonight, we would have stayed with Dally, Steve or Two-bit before the attack hit right now."

"How much can you take, before you change exactly, how much you realize where the doctor is going to see this as?" he asked and we nodded to him. "If we lost the duo as well, it's going to take you months to get over this and even then the nightmares are going to take even longer to get over." I said and he nodded as Johnny pressed his forehead to his as he blurted it out to him finally at that remark.

"Two brothers, you three are my best friends." he said and the trio nodded as Dally pulled him into a hug then, before Two-bit did the same. "The story centers around us four with the trio as the added members at the moment, but as a result here, so imagine the rant. After the rumble and after, this time, they hit me hard enough I now got a concussion after nearly killing me, and with it smoke inhalation?" he asked and Dally nodded gently to him at that.

"I lost him and then I nearly lose you next, but you're my baby brother, do they expect me not to lose it, I had it with these guys, twice in two days. You're not the type, you're not like the rest of, so don't try to be bro." he said and Pony nodded. "Battle hardened, as a result, we were all in shock and you reached your limit, but they don't understand, we just prevented what would have happened." Two-bit said firmly and he nodded as he said it.

"I lost my parents, I can't lose you too, man, guys." he said in response and Johnny nodded as Pony buried his head into his shoulder. "And I got the message guys, we're brothers, a gang, so we just make sure nothing takes us away from each other now." he said and the guys and I nodded in agreement. "Issues with being the youngest of the gang, we still see you as a 13 year old cub." I said and he looked down at that remark then.

"I don't want you to change, though I gripe about it, I never want you to change, but it's my job to protect you, so why do you keep calling for me?" I asked and he nodded. "It's because you know I'll protect you no matter how old you get, I'll always be there to protect you, but right now. Especially if this went in that direction, right now, and if this causes a decline in your health and it puts you in the hospital."

"Nothing is saving me from suing them for damages, but I'm just saying this right now, they do it one more time, and they're ending up in jail. Especially, if the next one is hard enough to put you in the hospital, but they're close to being adults, you're barely out of being 13 here right now. But your birthday was a month ago, so this is enough to screw them over right now." I said and he nodded to me as I looked at my brother.

As I pulled him into a hug and he buried his head into my shoulder in response as the quintet hid a smile then. "Your birthday was a month ago, and as if we don't need another reason to kill these guys, they're adults, you're just a kid, damn it." Steve said to him and I nodded sternly at that. "Well this was not like the attack by the ones in the corvair, this was the guy that attacked him." he told him and he nodded sternly to the news.

"You got enough for a weekend's worth of food." Soda asked and Dally nodded. "Yeah I do, but you better bag up a bunch of blankets, it's freezing up there. And secondly that church is really old, so watch your smokes guys." he said and we nodded to him. "Symes is my home room teacher." Pony told him and he nodded to him, gently at that remark.

"We're better off going shopping when we get there, but we need some clean clothes, and get the grease out of our hair. So we look more presentable, because they'll all know we're hoods the second they see us." I said and Pony nodded in agreement to my thoughts as he got ready to answer me then gently at that remark then.

Just as he was answering the phone went off at that a second time and I grabbed it. "Yeah?" I said and I heard a female voice at that.**_ "Is Ponyboy there?" _**she asked and I exchanged looks with them. "Who is this?" I asked and she gave her name.**_ "My name is Cherry, if Two-bit told you this already, I'm Bob's ex-girlfriend." _**she said and I nodded in shock.

"Ex?" I said in shock and I heard a gentle tone. _**"Yes I told him he attacks the guys and we were through, I like the trio from the start."** _she said and I smiled gently. "I'm Pony's older brother Cherry, Syme mentioned your father, what is he exactly?" I asked and I heard a sigh of relief. _**"He's a lawyer, can we come by tonight, I need to talk to all of you face to face, dad wants to meet you."** _she said and I nodded as he said it.

"Let me have it Darry." he said and I gave it to him. "Hey Cherry, what's wrong now..., yeah I know, they just attacked us and my brothers and Two-bit jumped them. Johnny got him across the arm..., I get that right now, but we're leaving..., yes. In the morning, going camping, uh huh yeah, alright thanks, see you Friday, yeah they're fine."

"Darry knocked him a good one, but it was close, he's got a a pretty good cut right to the arm, but Two-bit told the guys everything. But we just found the guys that barely missed killing Johnny a few months ago, it was Bob and Randy, they did it..., yeah, the description he gave us said a blue mustang, a guy with a couple of rings on his hand."

"Yeah thanks, there a reason you said that though..., bad boy complex, I know you see that in him, but these guys that just attacked us. They are the ones that gave Johnny that scar, we're lucky that my brothers arrived. Or this could have an an injury into a murder right now, we were not looking to pick a fight with them anyway Cherry."

"Dallas, yeah about that, he's from New York, but these gang wars between us and your grouping remind him a bit too much of his own gang. Which, he was part of the Jets in New York, after his mother died, the follow up. It was that Bernardo killed his best friend who then resulted in ending up dead by his other." he said and Dally gave a nod to him.

_**"I'm Maria and Juliet, that's just great, alright I get the idea."** _I heard her say and Dally looked down at that remark. "Looks like they mistook me for playing Tony and Two-bit as Riff." he said in response and we both nodded to the news. "Or my baby brother as Tony, and she's your age, she's too old for him and he's still too young for that yet." I said to that and he nodded in agreement to that as Pony blushed at my remark.

"Great as if we needed another Montague and Capulet fight debate, the Jets and Sharks, us and the Socs, come on, enough already right now." Johnny said in annoyance and we nodded in agreement. "You were a Soc, before you turned into a Greaser?" Steve repeated and he nodded to him. "I lost two brothers." he said and we nodded firmly.

"Well now this explains that, was that why you looked sick to your stomach when we found Johnny looking like that?" I asked him and he nodded. "I flashbacked to Riff's murder by Bernardo, before Tony killed him next that night. And then Bernardo lead him into a trap and then his best friend killed Tony." he told me softly and I nodded to him.

"You just chose sides in this?!" I heard in shock and looked at him at that. "Thanks Cherry, we owe you big, it was too damned close, if he never brought the liquor. We would be looking at a few charges and enough to put him behind bars. But as if nightmares of my parents traffic accident are not bad enough this is even worse.!

"You want to help, sure, get as much information as possible, this is needed, because this could get worse and turn things into a rumble later. Some of us are more dangerous then others, but we depend on each other for survival. Honestly we're never looking for a fight here at all okay, anyone sees us they sees criminals, but that's the problem."

"Though it does get worse and we end up with something happening over the week next week. But either way, we all had enough of this and this crossed a line that could result in some serious issue right now, I don't care who's idea this was. But what they just did could result in splitting my family up right now, because Soda and I at the moment."

"They only let us stay together if we behave and thanks to this fight, it's more then just an altercation or a near murder, they could destroy my family until I'm legally an adult." he said and I nodded in agreement to that as the quartet and I exchanged looks at this. "Yeah tell your parents that please, make it clear that, thanks to your boyfriend."

"And his friends, they could have done more damage then they realize, you know my parents are dead, he, Darry, he's all I got, I'm not being separated from my brothers." he said forcefully as he wiped the tears off his face. "Thanks, just meet up with Darry and Two-bit on Thursday, uh huh, yeah bye." he said and put it down as he leaned over.

"That's the key point these idiots don't seem to get, our parents are dead, we can only stay together if we stay out of trouble. This is more then just a near murder, they could separate us, and all because someone crossed the damn line." he said and and I pulled him into a hug as he buried his head into my shoulder at that shaking in grief.

"I'm not letting you leave, if we have to fight the system I'm going to do it, it's going to be okay." I said as I rocked him gently. "Those are the first three chapters of the book, I made a mistake, so just get everything you're feeling out into the pages. It's not what you're thinking, I love you, but I'm scared out of my mind I'll lose you, Pony."

"Like we lost mom and dad, I can't take it for a third time, you and Soda are all that matter to me." I told him and he nodded as I pressed my forehead to his and he closed his eyes as he buried his head into my shoulder. "From chapters 4 to whatever, is the rest of the story, creative writing assignment, we pretend that from there right now."

"But one week took three lives all because of prejudice." Johnny said and he nodded to him quickly. "I just hope that the dunk in the fountain doesn't trigger a case of pneumonia or worse, because two splashes with water that cold. Followed by whatever happens next is having you miss two weeks of school right now little brother."

"But I can contact the principal and tell him you're doing your assignments from home and ask him to give me the creative writing assignment. As one mistake triggers a chain reaction that results in taking three lives all in one week." I said and he nodded in agreement as he answered me at that as he looked from me to Soda then.

"Do we tell him the truth, or do you want to make that part up as I tripped over the rug and landed next to the table when you lost your temper earlier?" he asked and I nodded. "What happened exactly, if he took off to cool down?" Two-bit asked and I sighed. "That the fear at losing him finally resulted in an explosion between us right now."

"And I hit him, before the realization hit all three of us, not once has either of us ever touched him like this, but that was a one time thing that is not happening twice. I'm explaining that piece of the storyline to Syme, before he decides to take this. And to social services, it was an accident and it's never happening again right now."

"But I gave up my shot at college, just so I could keep us together until he started college, the boys need me more right now. But before you guys start thinking this, if Paul comes back for fall break, I'm making it clear, I'm not ashamed. And of being seen with you guys, I'd rather be a greaser then be one of them, a Soc, my family comes first."

"I don't care about that, but honestly, you get a little money and you hate the real world, but I hate money." I said and Pony said it gently. "You would like it a lot more if you didn't have any, and that's just the point. Nothing ever changes, they show off as if to prove they're better then we are, but they're nothing but white trash, with fancy toys."

"But I resent them, I always did, while they're showing off, you got to work two jobs to keep us together, Sode dropped out of school to do just that. But I finally said what the seven of us and the guys were all thinking about them." he said and they nodded to him. "What they call us if they attacked you?" Soda asked and he sighed as he said it.

"White trash, but sure we could be just as good as they are, but look at the facts, Elvis is from our neck of the woods. Nothing ever changes, but next year is the start of changes that could destroy us, we're family, we're all we have. We can't take the chance, out of us the story focused on us three, and Two-bit the most." Pony said and Dally nodded to him.

"Well if the girls want to help us in anyway, it's by getting everyone in the social elite to understand this right now. But this is not about the gangs killing off a member of each side, it's by showing that this could result in destroying a family in the process." Dally said with a furious growl and I nodded as the trio exchanged firm looks at this.

"Darry, I'll stay with the boys till you both get home from work next week, I'm their best chance at protection right now. You found the Soc that caused that scar on his cheek?" he asked and we nodded. "Yeah, Bob's the Soc that attacked me, we finally got their names, but Randy and Bob jumped me." Johnny said and he nodded to him gently.

"Well thank god that the trio came after us, or this could've turned into a murder, so the rest of this from chapter 4 to when I write out the story is creative writing." Pony said and he nodded in agreement to that. "I can do this and help and vouch for it, guys." we heard and they both stood up at that we turned to see a redhead standing there.

"Cherry but I thought..." Two-bit started to say and she shook her head. "Guys hold fire, Dally this is not the time nor place for this." I snapped and he relaxed as her father came in right behind her. "God what the hell happened to you guys, son?" her father asked looking between my brother and Johnny and Pony sighed as he said it.

"Bob, Randy and their friends attacked us at the park, they tried to drown him and they were about to do it again in my case." Johnny said for him and he nodded sternly. "That explains the scar across your cheek, they beat the crap out of you?" he said with a growl and they nodded to him. "They were also drunk." Pony said and he nodded angrily.

"Murder/suicide job, Mr. Valance." he told him and they nodded in shock as I passed him the canteen and he nodded sternly. "I knew he had a drinking problem, but I made it clear I was never going out with him when he was drinking. And tonight was the direct result of that remark, by his trying to kill you guys." Cherry added and the duo nodded.

As she pulled my brother into a hug and he closed his eyes tightly then. "I meant it, I liked you from the start, seeing that truth in what he just tried to do to you. Nothing forgives this, but a choice between you or him, I choose our friendship now. But I made it clear it's me or the booze now." she told him and he nodded as I heard a fast running.

As a brown headed girl and her own parents came in the door, as she moved to him and hugged him tightly and he closed his eyes as I realized she was his version of Cherry and nodded gently at that. "Two-Bit, guys, you okay?!" she said quickly and the trio nodded. "Yeah we're fine, Marcia, but boy am I glad to see you right now, I take it you both told your parents the truth to this?" he asked and their parents nodded to him gently.

"Yes honey they did." her mother said and they nodded gently. "I'm Two-bit Matthews, these guys are my brothers, Ponyboy Curtis and Johnny Cade." he said and her parents nodded smiling gently at the news. "So let me guess the duo there are Ponyboy's older brothers, I know you son, as you're Ponyboy's older brother's best friend?" Mr. Carter asked and we nodded to him gently as Pony said to him then.

"I contacted my home room teacher over this they're coming in the morning." Pony told her and they nodded. "They?" Mr. Valance asked and we nodded. "Him, the cops and my social worker, so we can go over this, I was under adult supervision, my brothers. And that's Darry and Two-bit are both over 18, but Two-bit was walking us home, before we separated tonight, got in a bit late, and Thursday's attack was the reason for this."

"But we had a fight and I tripped over the rug so watch out, there's a few areas that are loose and are an accident waiting to happen." he said and they nodded to the news. "Well my father and Mr. Valance are both lawyers, I can do Johnny and Two-bit and Cherry's father has you and your brothers." Marcia said and he nodded gently. "That's fine girls, we appreciate that." I said for him and they both nodded gently to me then.

Before they could say it I heard a car siren arrive and we turned. "Too late here they come now, but the grave yard shift got taken to a whole new meaning right now in the hospital, police department and the social services, that's probably Parker, Hancock and Ryan right now." Pony said and we nodded as a second later the car stopped in front of the house, and I knew they all realized that we had a full force meeting tonight.

"We weren't picking up on you girls, we were just protecting you from our more dangerous brothers at the moment, Brumly. Though I chose the wrong moment to leave tonight, if they were ready to attack right now when they saw with the guys with you." Dally said to her and she nodded sternly. "Not your fault, but he was drunk and looking for a fight, but you four together, that's a fair fight." she said and he nodded in agreement to that.

"My last act got me in trouble, but I'm not doing this anymore, honestly, is I'm like my brother Riff, but Two-bit and Darry are both sides of Tony." he told her and she nodded as she got it then. "New York, Westside Story, that's you?" she asked and he nodded. "I lost my best friends in the last war, but the Sharks are what we are and the Jets, your guy counterparts." he said and she and Marcia nodded to the news sternly at that remark.

"But we would never cross that line where you're concerned right now, we swear, though the same is not said for the Brumly's." Tim said to her and she nodded gently at the remark. "But I meant it when I told you that earlier, but the cops were preparing for a sting operation, they gave a us a second chance and we're ending this for good, though new clothes we keep the haircuts." Curly said and she nodded as Dally finished that to her.

"You want us to quit drinking we would do it in a heartbeat." Dally told her and she smiled at that. "And he means both of us in that, you asked us to quit, we would do it for you." Two-bit said to her and she nodded to the remark. "Issues, I'm told him before I'm not going out with him when he's drunk, but that's why he lost it finally and you got caught in the middle, guys." she said and they both nodded to the remark then gently.

"I'm a junior, he's a senior, you Dally?" she asked and he smiled. "I'm also a junior, but I would quit my old act for you, no drinking, clean cut, and I would be anything you want me to be." he said and she nodded smiling to him then. "That temper of your's was what got my attention actually, but we heard the fight between you when we passed his car." Dally said and she nodded as we waited for them to arrive then at the remark.

"They can call us a traitor all they want, but you know how to treat a lady right now, case in point is protecting us, in case the Brumlys show up, though Tim was also acting as a bodyguard after you guys got into it." she said and he chuckled. "And I heard the noise from my spot, but things were a bit testy, but we been like that for 6 years, and I moved here for a fresh start when Pony was 10." he said and she nodded to the news.

As the trio in question came to check in then, as I saw he was right as our police chief arrived and came in then and right behind him was Officers Eric Ryan and James Hancock. "You guys okay, son?" Hancock asked him gently then and they both nodded. "It was close, any closer and it could have been reversed Officer, but your warning just hit the table." Pony told him and he nodded as he rubbed the back of his head then gently.

"Who was it?" Ryan asked and he said it. "We had a run in with the guys that did Johnny." he told him and they nodded sternly. "Bob Sheldon, Randy Anderson and their friends, David Campbell, Jared Davidson and Peter Carter." Cherry told him and he nodded to her. "Looks like they never took your warning seriously, son." the chief said to Curly and he nodded. "They're also drunk." I said and they nodded sternly at the news then.

"They left this at the scene of the crime." I said and passed him the canteen and he took a whiff. "That's whiskey and you're too young to be drinking anyway, so let me guess, they tried to make it look like a murder/suicide job right now?' he asked and we nodded. "Yeah that's it exactly Sir, but his shouts to us we arrived just in time right now." Soda told him and he nodded to the news as I sighed in relief at the turn of events.

"Oh boy, just wait till morning, when you guys tell them you already know and before they could reverse this right now." Pony said and he nodded sternly in agreement to that remark. "Yes and before they could take these guys, whoever it was that got it across the arm, to the hospital, there is no getting out of this, and when I made it clear to the guys that did you, they did it again, they were screwed right now."

"But frankly, we both know you get yourself in trouble with us and that's the one thing keeping you from crossing that line, you're under age." he said and we nodded, though just as he finished saying that someone else came to the door and Pony froze up then. "Easy son, you're not in trouble, you never did anything wrong, the target is pointed on their backs right now starting now." the judge said to him and he nodded in relief.

"Your doctor is on his way here, but we were not expecting a grave yard shift catch tonight, but based on what Eric told me. This was enough to get our attention and we're looking into this, by getting your side of it first, and before they could switch it around." he said and we nodded. "My writing project is going to be a what if now, but trust me you're not going to like what this would have resulted in."

"If the guys never came after us right now, but one death tonight, and two more next weekend, after the rescue in Windrixville, results in another injury and Dal risks death. And by using the cops to do it after an armed robbery." he said and they all nodded. "That gun better be unloaded, or you're busted, Dallas." the chief said to him at that and he nodded. "I'm bluffing it with these guys, but it is." Dally said and they all nodded to him gently.

"So one bad decision results in a chain reaction that destroys three lives in one week and the ones that caused said chain reaction are the Socials. Said are driving the red Corvair, alright, well that should be an interesting story once it goes into creative writing right now. But this drives the punchline, it doesn't matter what side you are, you get in trouble and there will be consequences." The chief said and the judge nodded in agreement.

"Yes and the one who's life this wrecks, before you get a second chance with the war underway in Vietnam right now, is your gang's. But you never did anything wrong, if Dallas was irritated at these brats for attacking you and that's still enough to clip their wings right now. But these guys need to understand it doesn't matter your appearance: clean cut or a rebel, you break the law and there will be consequences."

"Jared told me the Sheppard gang was about to join the precinct as junior cops now, we're giving you guys a chance to show you can change. And become assets to society, but their behavior now, how long could this go on for before they cross the line and end up with the target pointed at them. But starting now things are in reverse in our eyes now now." Judge David Bentley said to us and we all nodded in relief then to the news.

"Though we get in trouble every now again, though Dal gets in trouble too much with you guys, we're not crossing that line. But were it not for the guys, we'd be looking at what my book was going to be on now, but I just threw these idiots to the wolves." he said and they all nodded. "Us in the medical department, the cops and the town government, being the said wolves right now." Bentley said and Pony nodded to the remark as he said it.

"Yeah and even worse for them, if you forgot this, our uncle was a Fed." he said and the chief shook his head. "Oh boy, if this crosses the line further, on top of another murder charge, we got a case of arson, if that church catches on fire if you're at Jay Mountain." the chief said and we nodded. "I know, but that church is dried out, so one lit match or cigarette and it's going to catch fire right now."

"But this chain reaction started with one thing, and it was Thursday afternoon, after the movie." he said and I nodded. "The Socs in the Corvair." I said and he nodded. "That started your biggest fear and tonight it got worse, that these guys had it out for us now." he said and I nodded. "And one fear leads to a chain reaction that destroys 3 lives in a week and nearly destroys our gang completely, not happening, but not me or the guys."

"And not my brother, it was an accident and one that won't happen again, I swear, but yesterday's attack by the guys in the red corvair was enough. But this is too much in his eyes right now, I was going to tell him in the morning what went on tonight, that you had this planned in advance. But it could have been us or Two-bit, and you would know they never took your warning seriously." he told them and they nodded sternly to the news then.

"We can let that fight between you and your brother go right now, just this once boys, but don't let it happen again." he said and we both nodded to the request. "We won't, one time thing, I just had the life scared out of me Thursday, that this is too much right now in my eyes in his case." I said and they nodded as I wrapped my arm across my brother's shoulders to keep him warm then.

"Any closer it would not be self defense, I'd be seeing his dead body right now." he told him and he nodded, just as our doctor came in right behind him then, in time to hear that remark. "And seeing something this is beyond traumatizing as we see this enough in movies, but a kid your age, it's too much right now. But I don't care who's fault this was, you're no older then 13, with your birthday barely a month ago right now right now."

"So what do they, that's these brats in your opposing gang, take me for, a complete idiot, it's going to take time for you to get over this and even longer. When in the case of emotional therapy, being a doctor, I see this enough in adults, but you, it's even worse right now." he said sternly and the judge nodded in agreement to that. "That's the rewrite as you just read it out Doctor Hawthorne, but that's the creative writing right now."

"But seeing the murder right after it happened, a week later comes a rescue attempt, and Johnny is put in the hospital as a result of the beam landing on top of him and Dally loses it after he passes that night, and I see the blast as we try to tell you his gun wasn't loaded." he said and they all nodded. "Death by cop, but we're not having this right now, as refusal to come means we got to get it out of his hands and fast."

"Before someone's gun does go off, but how much of this can we, or you take, before it has everyone to exhausted to focus right now at the moment. And with it, is the ones that started this are the ones getting tried for nearly killing you, but it's all their fault, we get that, and I'm just waiting for you to say it. If Johnny and Dallas died a week later as your book read it out, you're mentally and emotionally wracked up you need time."

"And don't talk about, if this triggers another set of nights and flashbacks." he said gently and we nodded firmly in agreement to that. "Thursday's attack was one thing, but this is too much, but they just tried to drown him, it was way too close." Two-bit said and they all nodded sternly. "In this weather, those brats out of their minds, that water is freezing wherever they did it right now, but you don't get out of these clothes."

"And you're going to catch something right now, kiddo." the doctor said gently and he nodded, as he quickly went into his room and I heard several thunks, before he came out and in a set of flannel pajamas then and we nodded. "I'm not taking anymore chances in your case, Darry's still worried, but what's next, you collapsing from smoke inhalation, you getting hit so hard you got a concussion how many blows to the head can you take."

"Before it puts you in the emergency room, damn it." the doctor said and he nodded to that remark. "You had a right to be worried, as I had another one, before the attack, but even worse. It's my dreams never stopped, and I had another one focused on my parents death." he told him and he nodded with a furious look at the news then. "Damn it, alright so let me take a guess." he said as he read it out then to the judge.

"But after you guys traded insults with each other, you guys were out at your hang out, in the middle of the conversation, you fell asleep. Dreaming about the accident, before he woke you up, you came home, you guys got into a fight, before one reaction triggered this, and you decided to cool down. And by taking a walk, before you saw them, another round of insults, and this time you only told them the truth, before they attack."

"And the trio barely made it in time, is that what happened?" he asked and we nodded to him and he nodded. "Yeah that's what happened alright, but these idiots don't get that I'm barely a month into my 14 birthday, and they're adults, so..." he said and the doctor nodded sternly. "Well you guys are off the hook, but they aren't, and attempted murder out of crazed jealousy is not going to hack it." the judge said sternly to that remark then.

"You got to us, before they could turn that around right now, but you never did anything wrong, Bob is alive, and there is no chance at it now." Mrs. Valance said to him and he nodded to her. "We were walking the girls home from the drive in, just talking and we have Randy tailing us, they were in shock that the girls ditched them to spend some time with us." Johnny said and they nodded sternly at the news then as Pony finished it.

"They're drunk." Pony told him and he nodded sternly. "Bob ended up in the fountain after I shifted positions, but they dumped his canteen on me, and in attempt to make it look like I was wasted and drowned in the fountain." he said and the doctor nodded sternly. "And 1) is you don't drink, and 2) is you're too young to be drinking, though you better stop smoking, son." he said and he nodded gently to his remark then.

"How much of this can you guys take, before your age group all had enough of it right now exactly, because you did give that warning. And they still attack us, you know my gang is not likely to cross that line, none of us are risking spending life in prison or worse right now. But these idiots didn't just barely get themselves killed, they could have destroyed what's left of my family." Pony said and they nodded sternly in agreement.

"And we know that, but these brats don't, but they get more assault and battery charges then all of you combined right now. But we all had enough of the gang wars between you, but one last one and that ends things for good right now, but you guys end up in the hospital. And they're the ones getting a house call if you take one more hit to the head or shock as a result of this." the doctor said sternly and the chief and Judge nodded to that.

And I nodded in agreement, knowing the doctor was a family friend, he saw him as a son, so to us, where he was concerned. It's he wasn't taking chances after mom and dad's deaths right now, after I took him to the doctor's and I never got over the dreams he started having. "Going on a guess, I think your invisible assailant was pointing this out as your fears are based on the same, loss of another family member."

"Though that's true and it explains why Darry panicked tonight, because he thought some lunatic got a hold of you or worse. These guys killed you after your run in with the ones driving the Corvair." Marcia said and I nodded in agreement. "That's true and I've reached my limit, but I hated Paul ever since, I'm working at making ends meet right now." I said to her and she nodded as Two-bit took charge and explained to to them gently.

"She, that's Cherry now, but she made it clear she was never going out with him when he was loaded, before he insulted us and his friend. That's Randy Anderson then pushed Marcia away from me, I'd given her my jacket to keep her warm. We were intending to walk the girls home from the drive in, before we saw Bob tailing us. She headed off a fight, before he gave a threat to us." Two-bit told him and he nodded gently.

"You guys look like pretty decent boys on the inside, though a little rough on the outside." her mother said and we nodded. "We are, but here's the problem: our parents were killed in a traffic accident, a train hit our parents car. And they were killed in the impact, we can only stay together if they stay out of trouble, with the cops."

"My brother is still having nightmares over the accident, I got it under control around here, but I'm working over time to make sure he gets his chance where I didn't, college." I told them and they nodded. "I can act as your representative in court kids, just tell me everything from start to finish, if what caused this was an accidental burst of temper."

"I can let that go, as we tell this to the judge on our wording of it." he said and we nodded in relief. "Cherry said you were go camping this weekend?" her mother asked and we nodded. "We are, we're going to Windrixville for the weekend." Pony said and they nodded as her father pulled something out his pocket and gave it to him.

"You don't have too..." I started to say and he shook his head. "If you're my daughter's new friends I want to help son." he said and I sighed and nodded. "Look, I was considering this from the second she told me the truth, but sponsering you. Your family and gang, is enough now that we can act as your foster family for a few years."

"Until your brother graduates from school and starts college, this is just the start of it now Darrell. That's enough to last six months to a year boys, in case of trouble now. But honestly, it's a matter of showing you guys are good people. But we're the first step to seeing that, if something happens now next weekend at the current moment."

"And that leads to another injury and we can add that to the court case, you never turned, you are heroes, you could have done more then give him that scar. But you didn't, if that church catches fire you could have left the adults to deal with it. But you didn't, sometimes the people have a hard time seeing past the outer appearance."

"To see the good person you really are, but you look dangerous and you're not, we don't look dangerous and some of us are, that's the smoke screen." he said and we nodded in understanding. "The reason I turned into what I am, is because my father abandoned me, Mr. Valance." Dally said and he nodded as he answered him gently at that.

"So you're the tough guy out of the seven of you, Dallas Winston, I heard you got quite a reputation at the precinct?" he said and Dally nodded sighing. "I was part of the Jets in New York, and one fight or another resulted in killing my best friends, Riff and Tony. Before I left New York and came here." he said and her parents nodded to him gently.

"I see, well this explains that, you hate my daughter's boyfriend and his friends, because they remind you of what you lost before you relocated from the city and moved here. You maybe dressed like a J.D., but you were a Soc, before you turned into a Greaser." Mrs. Valance said and I nodded as that explained it all to me and Two-bit at that remark.

"I actually understand your daughter better then she thinks at the moment, but she, Johnny and Soda are the ones that understand this. I'm not like my peers in Shepard's gang, or the others downtown, we're not like them at all. But we just carry the blades for looks, we're not that rough, Sir." Pony explained as Dally pulled him to his feet then.

"Although your counterparts, these guys don't know when to quit and they attacked him on Thursday, they're pushing the limit right now. But this is the second time in two days they barely missed killing my brother. Truthfully now, it's been like this for ten months and they finally crossed the line tonight." Dally said and he nodded sternly to that news.

"Yes and they're facing charges of attempted murder, public intoxication, but just because you look like this, doesn't mean you're not a good person. As such, that's a case that is being changed right now, but the 4 of us were discussing this. After they told us what happened after they brought the girls home." he said, before I saw Pony's legs give.

"Whoa, easy bro." Dally said as I grabbed my brother as a dizzy spell shot through him as Mr. Valance said it. "Exhaustion, time to call it, alright, I'll check on you guys on Monday, and we can go over this, but if you're his warden. I can act as your guardian and your lawyer and until you're out of school for the next four years kiddo, we promise."

"I'll talk to the Eric, your case worker and social services, to get you guys placed under my custody until your brother finishes school right now." he said and the seven of us nodded in acceptance then as she looked at him. "Four years, that's fine and thank you right now." Pony said and I nodded in agreement to his thoughts as I finished that remark gently.

"Adopted family, thank you and we can accept that." I said for the three of us at that remark in acceptance as Cherry gave him a hug and he tightened his arms around her. "Thanks Cherry, we owe you big." Two-bit said to her and she nodded as she gave him a hug at that. "See you on Monday, Two-bit." she said and we nodded as she left at that.


	5. 4) Cherry And Dally And Truths Revealed

**Brothers**

**Disclaimers: The Outsiders do not belong to me, the story belongs to me, the characters and everything else belongs to the author and the movie company.**

**Warnings: The story is being placed after the fight and after he heads for Johnny, but instead of the things that happen the story is having the entire gang at the church. The following Friday after school as he was recovering from the attack. And the near drowning now as they saved the kids and Bob survives the fight.**

**And this story is going to be in Darry's point of view from the second Ponyboy leaves the house.**

**Chapter 4: Cherry And Dally And The Truth Gets Out**

"Cherry wait!" Dally said quickly and she turned back to him. "Like I said I was once a Soc, but my pain at losing my friends is the reason for the attitude. Give me a second chance, I can prove I can be what you want." he said softly and she smiled. "I said it to him, I was afraid of seeing you again, your bad boy complex tonight, that was it."

"But what Bob pulled tonight is enough, in my eyes your personality is what made you attractive." she said as she gave him a hug and he tightened his arms around her. "Don't worry, I'll be fine, he crosses that line and he's in serious trouble. But he just barely killed my brothers tonight, but better he gets justice by going to jail for six months."

"But he lost you to me, I look like a greaser, but I'm just like you, I grew up on your side of town in New York, but after my mother died, my old man kicked me out. I never use the oil, but this is me when I was in New York, clean hair and well dressed. Just used my last amount of money my mother left me at the moment, honey, but that's it."

"Why I'm running the rodeos at the moment, I'm a jockey, but I can clean up my act, for you." he said and she nodded to him smiling as I saw something change in her eyes at him, and I knew that did it for her. He was everything she wanted at the time now, my being her big brother, he was her new boyfriend as our extended family now connected.

"I see everything in you I saw in him, when like this though you're real sweet, but you're no normal boy, you have the air of a leader, something makes you different, makes people follow you and you're better then some in the crowd." she said and he nodded gently. "Next to Darry, I'm leader of my gang, if this was in reverse and the guys would come to me, but my devotion to my gang is beyond loyal."

"But we would protect you in a heartbeat." he said and she nodded gently at that. "And that's what created the connection between us, but when he's loaded, that's dangerous, but would you guys give up the drinking for us. Or go into rehab from it, if we asked you to, change for us, so we can stay together forever now?" she asked and they both nodded as they both looked between them and Two-bit said it for both of them.

"In a heartbeat." Two-bit said smiling and she and Marcia both smiled at the remark then gently as she looked between them. "Be thankful you never came by Merril's tonight, I left just as whatever he was screwing around with blew something up." Dally said and we nodded to the news. "I can be clean cut, I can be presentable, just give me a chance and I can prove I can change." he said for both of them and the girls nodded gently at that.

"There it is, how many times did you ask him to quit and he never does?" I asked and they both sighed. "They started drinking 18 months ago, but 30 fights and 50 more ending up in the tank no matter how many times we say it they won't." Marcia said and I nodded. "If you asked us to, and we would, as we start coming down off of it, we're presentable, we're clean and we're sober, so you got us thinking straight."

"And enough to make it clear here, but we're not the ones drinking and we outnumber them 18 to 5 or 6, but that's enough of this already. But we're junior cops now, Cherry, so this could get nasty, but two sting operations and they're too loaded to realize it." Tim said and she nodded gently at that. "You said your outfits were friends?" she asked and we nodded to her gently at that question then gently.

"We are, but give us a chance and we can prove we can be assets to society and we can change, for you, the girls we love." I said and they nodded smiling then gently. "Were it not for you, I think this would have resulted in a different outcome, but we pulled it together, and if they would start thinking straight they would realize they walked right into a cop trap." Marcia said to him and we both nodded in agreement to that.

"Be careful, with the fact Bob realizes I belong to you now, I think he and his friends are about to lose it. But if this is Westside Story, gone Tulsa version, we got problems now, what about Sheppard and what happened to your side." she said seeing the bruise on his chest and he sighed as he explained it to her as Johnny, Two-bit and Pony looked down.

"Had a fight with him, if Two-bit told you this already, he wasn't lying, our fight resulted in getting it taken out on his truck tires. Before he came after me for it, but I broke my switch yesterday." he said and she nodded bemused to that. "You better stay out of trouble, before dad lets you have it next." she said and he nodded to her gently.

"Just give me a chance, I can prove I can be the man you want." he said and she nodded to her. "You are a leader, but it's clear to me, why you had the guys following you, I get it. but you don't act like the others, like your counterparts. I see that, so you're really a Soc turned Greaser?" she asked and he nodded. "Yeah I left New York to start a new life and met the sextet." he said and she nodded smiling as she hugged him then.

"Alright, we'll see you guys Sunday night after you get back, but be careful." she said and we nodded as he gave her one last hug, before she pulled him into a kiss. And we looked down at that as I hid a smile, before they ended it. And he left for a few minutes as he walked her to her fathers's car, before we heard a gentle thunk and he came back.

"Well I was waiting for that to happen, but at the moment, you got a year, before you're legally an adult, Dal, so watch it already." Pony said and he chuckled. "Who of the three of you did she tell that to exactly?" he asked and Pony smiled. "It was me Dal, but the side of her that prefers non violence is why we connected tonight, but she knows it."

"You guys all know this, but I'm not likely to get violent by using blades or soda bottles, and I told her that already. Though what I will say is this attack by him cost him his relationship with her and she chose someone else with the exact same characteristics. You got the air of a leader, and she sees that." he said and Dally nodded to him gently.

"Maybe, but just to save you guys from ending up in jail, I'd risk the electric chair for it, you're my family, I'm not losing you guys." he said and Pony nodded to him. "You maybe a little rough around the edges, but I know you better then anyone. You never had to admit the pain of loss at Riff and Tony's deaths, I get it, but to you this is just as bad."

"If not worse right now, you lost two brothers and you're not losing us next, we understand that." he said and Dally nodded as he gave him a hug and he tightened his arms around him. "You and Johnny are my brothers you matter most to me, it's not just Johnny that I love as a kid brother, it's you as well." he said and Pony nodded to him.

"Honestly if you guys would just stay out of trouble, then these situations would never have happened, kiddo. But add that to the story, as losing Johnny is bad enough, I can't lose you too, or I'll never survive the loss at this point. But that's the catch, you barely survive the fire, they hit you hard enough that you collapse on us."

"But that was the reason for my lecture that night in the story, you start getting tougher and you won't get hurt, you look out for yourself and nothing can touch you. But like Darry, I'm scared out of my mind that I'll lose you as well. These wars cost my two brothers, I lose another thanks to Sheldon and I nearly lose you, it's their fault."

"You keep this up and I'm not going to make it to 20 at this rate, Pony, that's the reason for the bluff at the time, I'd rather die then lose you guys at the moment. But these idiots finally crossed me at the moment, they barely kill you tonight. And they barely did it a few months ago to Johnny, they finally crossed me." he said and Pony nodded to him

"I know and I get that, I lost my parents, I'm not losing you guys next, but we all share that fear, we lost our family. We can't lose each other or we're never going to survive the loss at this rate now, tonight just drove that point home at the moment. I hate these guys, it's their fault Bob was almost killed, that we were, and us getting separated."

"How much of this can you take, I mean enough already, but if they want a war we'l give them one, but we survived the fight, though Bob ending up with 30 stitches on his arm. It's not over yet, not by a long shot, but we're not in trouble, we have her to tell the judge the truth." he said and Dally nodded to that as he answered him at that.

"But you're my kid brothers you two, I'm not losing you guys, because these guys don't know when to quit, but that crossed a line right now. Honestly, I lost two friends in New York, two brothers, I'm not losing you guys next, you're my family. But we can make a few changes and show to the Socs like Sheldon, we can be just as good as they are."

"And like I said yesterday, who's looking for police trouble right now, I know that you guys get in trouble and that splits us up. I'm not having it, so we tell Mr. Valance the truth and he can vouch for us as he acts as your foster father. We're still together, but I'm protecting you guys until things cool down." he said and Soda and I nodded to that.

Moving back over to him Dally yanked him into a hug as he closed his eyes tightly as he leaned his head against his shoulder, before they went into a three way hug. "That was way too close tonight, but she's right, she could have made it simpler. For this fight to not have happened at all, but this time crazy jealousy just barely killed three people.

"That's our ticket out of this mess, he's acting as our foster father, guys." Soda said and I nodded. "Our lawyer and foster father, we just tell him the truth to what happened, both Thursday and tonight and that should do it. But we got him sponsoring us starting now until I graduate from high school." Pony said and I nodded as I said it to him then.

"Yeah, we get to stay together, with him checking on us every weekend, we can be like we used to now." I said and he nodded to me in agreement to that. "Love you bro." he said and I smiled. "Love you too brother, I'm not losing you again, it's going to be okay." I said and we went into three way hug as we hung onto each other, before we let go.

"Alright that's enough of this right now, I'm telling my supervisor, I'm taking this weekend off, before I get home on Thursday night. And we head for Windrixville for the day again on Friday, but if there's trouble that's enough to make it clear. But we show we can be assets to society as well." I said and the quartet nodded in agreement then.

As we all went to bed, the gang settled in for our first night as a new gang, the next morning we all got up at 9:30 and started bagging up two days worth of clothes. And a few blankets, as we loaded them into my truck as the three of us decided now. To take my truck and the quartet were in Dal's car who he borrowed from Buck Merrill.

"Hey guys we better clean up the house so with the fact we got company coming before we leave this morning." I said and they nodded as we got to work then as two hours later, we had the house completely spotless, and everything that was normally laying around put away then. As I had my stuff in the shed out back and my truck bed empty so we could bring the stuff we were taking

"Hey guys, did you check the amount in that envelope?" Steve asked and I opened it and did a swift count and felt my heart jump in shock. "There's half of 500 grand in this envelope!" Soda told him in shock and we nodded in amazement. "Well that's more then gracious, we can make it last seven months till he does it again, but with the amount needed for the court case, that's not a problem here."

"With him being a lawyer, he's getting paid by the people he represents at the moment, but we're his foster children and I saw the look in Cherry's eyes towards you. You're her kid brother, she loves as a brother Pony." Johnny said and he nodded to that. "Looks like he decided to represent our gang and is helping us along, if there's trouble."

"Alright, $200 this week and put the rest in the bank right now, as we pay the bills and pay for some new clothes starting now guys." Pony told us and I nodded in agreement. "New clothes, and we look more decent then we do now, but this is the first time since mom and dad that we headed back for the country, since we went camping up there right now." I said and he nodded in agreement.

"Hey son!" we heard and I looked up and saw my brother's teacher arriving and with him was the chief and our social worker, right behind them was Mr. Valance. "Hey guys." he said and I nodded as Pony took a deep breath. "Hey Mrs. Parker." he said and she smiled gently. "You're not on trouble, Eric filled me in this morning, but I need your testimony over what happened last night." she said and he nodded to her gently at that.

"After last night's conference call here at your house, the judge filled us in and we decided to make it clear to these brats, so they want to test us. Let's see how they like it when the shoe is on the other foot right now, it doesn't matter of appearance you're getting consequences here. Whether clean cut, or looking like a rebel, the rules don't change, because you're either side." Mr. Porter said sternly and we nodded in agreement to that.

"You guys let us off on a warning, but that's not happening twice, we swear, but we never did a thing to these guys, my only remark here. I was only telling them the truth, rich or not, they're no better then we are." he said and they they all nodded in agreement. "But I think that was their trigger moment, my implying they're nothing more then Greasers driving fancy cars and wearing fancy clothes."

"But we leave them alone, but they won't us, no matter what we do, they won't leave us alone, but walking alone or in groups of two. But it's they're always in groups of 4 or 5, but then 2 in our case and they start trying to provoke us at the moment. But compared to what we used to get in trouble for, in the case of my more dangerous brothers, it's done with, it's over now, but will they get the message now."

"Or are you guys going to have to start arresting them as they're always drunk when they try to attack us." he said and they nodded as they crossed their arms then. "Good point and we agree with that right now, you guys look more presentable now, you don't show that catch to you, in fact aside from your hair you look normal." Bentley said to him and he nodded to the remark gently at the observation then gently.

"The Sheppard gang are getting into the police academy, my brother's working a union job as a contractor, and we all start doing this. So we're working at making sure we got enough to eat and have a nice house, so though living on this side, it doesn't mean anything. Them, look at them, mom and dad gave them everything and are letting them run wild, you gave us something to stand on." Pony said and they nodded as I finished remark.

"And it's these idiots are stuck on the entire thing, you remember how the rich kids in the Alcott book series saw his friends, because these hotshots. Well this is the same thing, just because we don't have much doesn't mean we can't use our own skills here. But to us, we hate money, but get a little money and you hate the whole world, but you would like it alot more if you didn't have any." I said and to finish that and they nodded to that.

"And that's how we see it too honey, rich or not, they're no better, but most of you guys are decent underneath, but them it's totally the reverse." she said and he nodded as he smiled then. "I'd hate to be them right now, you guys are close to adopting me yourselves, but I'm her baby brother now, and to her, I come first, as Darry prevented his death." he said and she nodded in agreement as Cherry smiled gently at that.

"And there's our conversation right there but will I come up to see him, no I couldn't." Cherry said and I nodded as Dally took charge at that. "Want to go it now, as Sheldon's alive, and it's now focused on Pony at the fact he nearly killed him, but he's your brother, and you belong to me?" he asked and she nodded to him as they did that conversation in front of us of both sides then gently.

"Will you come up to see me?" he asked and she shook her head. "No I couldn't." she said and he said it with a challenge in his voice. "Why not?" he asked and she said it firmly, and I knew she was attempting a clean break. "I couldn't, you nearly killed him, you asked for that injury, and I know you did, but he's my baby brother now, but I could never look at the person that nearly killed him right now."

"Him or my brothers, as for Dally, he can be real sweet, he wasn't just any boy, Dal has something that makes him different, makes people follow him and maybe a little better then the crowd, you know what I mean?" she asked and I nodded. "We do, but the one that gives up the drinking is the one you got together with and he can change, but Bob is going to see she dropped him for someone else right now with the same traits."

"You think these idiots would realize that a fight breaks out in public and you get called in." Pony said and they nodded. "Yes, and I know though your brother was preventing you from getting arrested by leaving when we got there at the time yesterday. But this crossed the line right now, but did they expect us not to take the warning seriously after Cherry deflected the fight in front of us." Officer Jared Hancock said sternly and we nodded to that.

Before the meaning became clear and Pony said it quickly at that remark. "Remember son, my remark, to Sheppard and her male counterpart?" Hancock asked and he nodded as he smiled in relief. "You were undercover waiting for that fight to happen?" he asked and they all nodded to him. "You just telling us where all of you were going to be, and I was making it clear and Curly got the message." Hancock said and we both nodded to the news.

"We decided we all had enough of this and were at the drive in at the same time you guys were at last night, after my partner did it. But he deflected the fight in the concession stand, and we heard your entire conversation with Cherry. But her warning just turned into a promise right now, as did Curly's warning to him, as he had us listening to the entire conversation right now." he said and I nodded in relief at the news then.

"And you guys acting like normal teenagers was a refreshing change from the norm right now, that we were hearing the amount of noise. In where you guys were seated at after you guys started jumping each other, but I take it you heard me call out after the bickering match started." he asked and they started laughing and nodded. "Yeah we did and I was trying to pull myself together." Marcia said through a laugh at his remark.

"Great, they are not getting out of this right now." Two-bit said smiling in relief and he nodded gently. "You kids may get in trouble a few times, but you would never cross the line like this, we know that, though the same is not said for Sheppard's gang or the Brumly brothers." Officer Anthony Ryan said to him at that and we all nodded. "Well you're not getting anymore trouble from me, I swear Sir." Dally said and they nodded in relief to the news.

"Dal, you want to stay out of trouble then don't lose your temper, and take it out in starting fights with our counterpart gang, man." Johnny said to him and they nodded with a sigh to the news. "Well that explains why Tim came by, you slashed his tires?" the chief asked with a bemused smile and he nodded. "Issues of she set the flame on high, before Johnny deflected it, and he got into a fight with the guys across the aisle from us."

"Before he took it out on his tires and 5 minutes later, Tim dropped by after Two-bit joined the girls, Johnny and me right then." Pony said and they nodded to him. "Too late, and Dal would you quit testing me like this and you owe me a new set of tires man." we heard and Dally nodded as Tim came to join us at that. "My brother was the one that started it in the concession stand after that Soc started a fight with a friend of his."

"But that explains that one Officer." he said and they nodded. "I see why you said to take it outside, before someone ends up in the middle before I told you guys to take outside." he said in response and we all nodded. "As if we don't need another case of trouble we all wanted a night off to enjoy ourselves, but the Socs are the ones that keep starting it with us, we leave them alone, but they won't us." Pony said and they all nodded sternly to that.

"Your brother, Dallas here now, he gets into trouble once too often, but the others, we're trying to control these things between you guys. But this crossed the line finally, son, I don't care why they did it, there is no excuse for attacking someone completely unprovoked. And when your brother and his friend did nothing to deserve it." he said as he looked at Dally who was leaning against my truck.

"Well I warned them they were in the wrong territory and they were going to get it, if they tried it." Johnny told him and he nodded to the news. "They finally insulted us, but I threw it back at him, just because they're rich doesn't mean they're any better then we are. But they don't feel and we feel too violently, but I had it, as you investigated my parents accident, it's been six months since." Pony told him and he nodded gently to him at that.

"I know, and that only underlines the single catch, you never did anything wrong and you're right, on all counts, their behavior crossed the line finally. So you got in a bit late, and they were up here in your territory, so what happened exactly I need the entire thing if Eric said they barely killed you." Mrs. Parker said and we nodded as Two-bit crossed his arms as he explained it to him gently at that as he looked between them.

"Trust me we got that, at the moment, but that's the end of the circle, I was once like them, but remember New York?" Dally asked and the chief nodded. "That's why I was looking sick when he nearly killed Johnny four months ago." he said and the chief and the two officers with him nodded sternly. "But I reached my limit when they walked right into the park, but they were loaded, but another dream on my parents, got in late, we had a fight."

"And I headed there to cool down, till I came home, before they came looking for us, just as they, Bob and Randy, had me over backwards, in the fountain, but the guys and Johnny barely made it." Pony told him and he nodded sternly. "How close was it?" he said and I knew he was seeing red at the news. "I lost consciousness for a few minutes, before they got my heart going again." he told him and they nodded slowly at the news then.

"They just barely killed you, what else?" Syme asked slowly and I passed the water bottle to him. "They dumped it on him, attempted murder/suicide attempt and only my arriving prevented it, but their buddies attacked him the day before and sliced up his neck." I said and they nodded to me sternly. "Well there is no getting out of this, I heard from the cook at the drive in, there was a near fight between your side and their's."

"And I saw the trio just leaving the Dingo, before I broke up the fight between the hitchhiker and Sheppard's gang." the chief said and I nodded. "You would think these guys were learn by now, that start a fight in public and you guys are coming regardless of who started it right now." Two-bit said and the officer standing behind the chief nodded to that. "Your brother is a good kid, I know that right now, but he's not the type."

"We know that right now, but this crossed a line so far down that though you look dangerous and you're not, but they don't and they are, is that what your theme is going to be on?" Hancock asked and Pony nodded to him. "Yes Sir, in fact, chapter 4 to the end of the story is what if, but from the park to now all the way to after the final showdown between us has gone the way fantasy literature is." he said and they nodded to the news gently.

"Well I look forward to finding out where this leads if the person you pass this too turns it into a book series as what comes next year is going to be interesting." he said and my brother smiled. "Darry left Dally and Two-bit in charge, with him working a bit late, and Soda and Steve at the game, so the four of us were at the movies hanging out, before this started." Johnny said for him and they nodded to the news gently at that.

"Well you're lucky you weren't at Merril's, someone started a riot and an altercation broke out." the chief said and I nodded in relief. "Jim said he blew up the door off it's hinges and there was a riot, but what was the fight about?" Pony asked and he gave a bemused smile. "An adult version to what just happened to you guys and it broke the window, Sheldon's counterpart is in the hospital with a 50 stitches to the arm."

"Your counterpart has a concussion and 17 stitches in his forehead, the right eye." he said and we all nodded to the news. "Soda and I gave strict orders not be within a mile to 10 near his place, if he was running drugs or worse right now. But what was the fight about this time exactly?" I asked and he crossed his arms. "Bootlegging son, and the backfire blew the door off it's hinges." he said and I chuckled and nodded to the news.

"I called Dal and Steve over to report this, before the Sheppards came to check and they told us what happened." I said and he nodded sternly. "Well Curly's warning turned into a promise, but I know who it was that attacked Johnny, you said rings, right?" Cherry asked and I nodded. "Bob had several rings on his fingers, the jagged metal was what caused the cut on his cheek." she said and I nodded sternly to the news then.

"Who owns the copper red Corvair?" I asked and she crossed her arms. "His friends of their other team, but he told me everything, and I told Bob this directly, it's either me or the booze. But they were in shock I would leave them to hang out with the trio, and I spoke to Curly and his friend Derek. When in the concession stand, but like Mr. Syme, Marcia and I see passed the facade." she said and I nodded gently in relief as she looked at Dally.

As she leaned her head against his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders gently at that. "I think we got a Tulsa version to Romeo And Juliet or Westside Story, his friends, Riff and Tony, let alone Maria." she said and I nodded in agreement to that. "Well enough is enough, I'm playing the authority figure, but the wars between you guys are ending right now." the chief said and I nodded as I looked at her gently.

"And you thought you had it bad with our more dangerous brothers, he's a menace if he doesn't get that correct, as the next one is he's going to destroy the water tower next." Two-bit said and he nodded with a bemused smile at the remark then as he answered him gently at that. "No kidding buster, but now is not the time for it." he said and we nodded as we relaxed completely, just as I was answering Dally straightened at that.

"Oh no, not again, here they come." Dally said and they all turned. "Cherry, what are you doing here?!" Sheldon asked in shock and she crossed her arms. "Me what the hell are you doing here right now?" she asked and he swallowed hard. "Are you idiots out of your minds or are you just plain stupid right now?" Marcia asked them sternly at this and they both paled at the remark as I finished that remark then sternly

"With you idiots thinking straight right now, why attack us?" I said to him sternly and he looked at me in shock. "Trying to report to the cops on a assault and battery case, and instead they get the truth by us long before you can change it around." I said to him and he paled. "Well I see your opposite counterparts, the corvair also showed up right now as well, we can charge all of you at once for this right now." the chief said sternly and they paled.

As Hancock grabbed his arm and exposed the wrap the doctor that treated him had put on it then. "Just found you gentlemen, and you're under arrested for attempted murder, assault and battery and DWI." Ryan said sternly and they all paled at the remark. "What is this?!" Anderson asked and he said it sternly. "We set a trap for you and you fell for it, you're under arrest for attempted murder." Hancock said sternly and they both paled at that.

"You should have seen this coming that sooner or later, we were going to have enough and when we did, we hear the truth. And straight from the horse's mouth, before you can come up with a story on this right now, but Ponyboy Curtis contacted me mere minutes after the attack." Syme told them and they all paled at the news. "Time's up right now, but we came to him for the report on this." the reporter at the paper said it sternly.

"We're sick of your looking like the good guys and them like the juvenile delinquents we once thought they were, we want the truth from them. And for once right now, as the truth comes out, all they were doing is being gentlemen, they never touched the girls whatsoever. But they gave you a warning and you still don't listen, he was shouting so loudly, we could hear your entire fight." the chief said and they swallowed hard as Sheldon said it.

"Us, what about them, I got thirty stitches in my arm?" Sheldon said in shock and I crossed my arms. "Excuse me, who's the one who tried to kill someone, or did you forget this, right now Bob, you said you were looking for a fight. When I left you to hang around with them and her with me, they fought back strictly on self defense and are completely sober, as the calls start a line of tag between us?" Cherry said and he swallowed hard at that.

"It's done with it, it's over you two, you push and push and finally we decided we all had enough of this crap right now, between you and them." Mr. Carter said and they paled at that. "But if you're not going to stop these gang wars between you then I'm going to do it for you right now, but I meant it. But how long could we be expected to put up with this till my warning becomes a reality as we get together with your Grease doubles."

"You're alive, but it's over now, I had it with you right now, it's I'm with them now." she said as she leaned against Dally as he stared at Sheldon sternly, as he stared back at him as he recognized Johnny, Two-bit and my brother. "I believe you know the trio already, my name is Dallas Winston, this is Pony's older brothers and Steve Randle, but I'm your greaser double, pal, Two-bit to Anderson." he said and they both paled at the news.

"But honestly were you listening to her conversation with Pony, she mentioned: she ever saw me again and she'd fall in love with me, and I'm a Greaser version of you. But not, let me show you something." he said as he removed his leather jacket and I saw a very new pair of clothes. "New clothes, but still a greaser Winston." he said with a growl at that. "Yeah, but I'm not the one to attack a child." he said in response and Sheldon paled at that.

"Though I scare kids occasionally, I would never hurt a child, and believe me the fact you did, you all killed your case, but he's not 17 or 18. He's a month into his 14th birthday, Johnny is 16, but these two, because of their personalities, we get very protective of them. The youngest of our gang, he's in mourning still from the loss of his parents, and said what were all thinking right now about you guys."

"My brother is no older then 14, you idiot." he said with a stern tone and they all paled at that. "To put this bluntly, I been looking for who did Johnny, and you come to us, by attacking my baby brother, so you're screwed. But no need to give you anymore injuries, you been punished enough in that area, but that doesn't mean you don't get punished in another way as you lost everything that matters to both of you now."

"It was never Pony, it was me Sheldon." Dally said to him and he paled. "But I'm the one she fell in love with, she belongs to me now, but you attacked and nearly killed her brother, he's her foster brother now." he said they all paled at the remark then as I read it out. "You understand what happened after we caught you from behind?" I asked and they swallowed hard at the question then as he read it out then sternly to him at that.

"After getting to my house after the guys arrived, both our side and the Sheppard gang, I immediately phoned Syme, who phoned the cops, the medical department, the social services, and the judge." Pony said and they all swallowed hard at the news then. "One fast phone call right to me, results in a case of telephone tag and it's starts bouncing from adult to adult that the charges you wracked up are enough now."

"You're completely sober right now, but that remark of you taking it to the arm won't hold up in court and not when the Curtis's told us everything last night." Syme said and they paled at the remark. "Went straight to the hospital did you, for that?" the chief asked and they nodded shaking and I nodded. "They set the trap, and the girls chose themselves to be the bait after they joined us." Two-bit said sternly and they all paled at the news.

"But let me guess you went crying to daddy, after Johnny got you across the arm, your father intended to sue us for your arm?" Dally asked and they both paled at that. "Well we immediately called Syme and it started bouncing from adult to adult last night, not happening, you tried to kill my brother, big difference and justice is being served for this right now." I said and they paled at the remark and I nodded sternly.

"Your buddies there nearly killed my brother, and you tried to kill him last night, but two words, adult intervention." I said and they paled at the remark. "Last night was a trap and you fell right into it, you think we wouldn't take charge to put an end to this of the wars between you. That we wouldn't be on the scene after we heard you guys were all drinking at the time right now?" The chief said to him and they all paled at the remark.

"Young man, you try to take it to supreme court, over the fact you got it across the arm, it's not happening that you were the one who was injured. But you tried to kill him, there is a big difference between the two, but you owe them a serious amount of money for nearly killing him." the judge told them and they both paled at the remark as I crossed my arms at this as I looked between them sternly at this.

"What, that's what happened, my son and his gang tried to kill this child?" Sheldon't mother repeated and we nodded. "Yes it is, they tried to make it look like a murder/suicide job, but it backfired when Two-bit, my brother and I arrived, it was close, the drowning stopped his heart. And we had to go to CPR, before he coughed up the water that was in his lungs." I said and they nodded in shocked fury that they were lied to.

"How much do we owe you, because he's not dragging us down with him for that decision, he wanted us to say no for once, but we let him run wild. Till his choices destroyed his life as he learns that he can't get away with everything right now." Robert Sheldon Senior asked sternly and we nodded. "My uncle's putting the amount, but my brother gets sick, you're paying medical bills." I said and they nodded in acceptance to my remark.

"Well they crossed the line finally in our eyes right now, but we leave your kids alone, but they won't us right now, we can't walk alone or we get jumped. And my brother is still in mourning of our parents loss, but my brother only told your son the truth, they're no better then we are. But that remark caused him to lose it finally, that they're Greasers with fancy cars and clothes." I said and he nodded gently as Mr. Anderson crossed his arms.

"What happened next exactly?" he asked and I explained that to him. "Tried to drown him in the fountain, but the shouts were so loud we heard it, came running and I socked the guy that had his legs, Johnny got Sheldon across the arm. And they dropped him, before they came running to you, to take him to the hospital, but I called Syme and it started bouncing from him to the cops, our doctor and the social services."

"And right to the judge right now, but that was it, but we can only stay together, if we behave, and he tries to stay out of trouble as often as he can. But your kids nearly tore apart my family, as a result of their decisions, but what if I never arrived, they ever consider this is not self defense. But a murder now, and they tear apart my family out of their idiocy?" I said sternly and they both nodded sternly at the news then.

"The charge for assault and battery in your case got thrown out the window, and it's the self defense charge young man, they fought back. And strictly on self defense, when you tried to kill him, and your own ex girlfriends are testifying, and against you right now for this. But the girls told us everything, and they and we all had it with this." Mr. Valance said sternly and they both paled at the remark as I crossed my arms.

"Syme, after you idiots tried to attack my friends this time on campus, before Steve left for work right now, they all decided to end this now. You think Hancock was kidding when he said that to you, at the concession stand?" Pony asked and the duo paled as the saw the uniform of one of the clerks at the concession stand and their pallor went even paler at that as they got it then as they saw the clerk uniform at the entrance too.

"Or you not get the memo here, but my uncle is a Fed?" Pony asked and they all paled at the news. "Think about it, why would the town government come to this decision so quickly and when Darry is only 20, why I can stay with him. And not get put into the system with 5 years left, huh, why, well our uncle set the arrangement and I'm careful to stay out of trouble when I can." he said sternly and the cops nodded sternly in agreement.

"You push us and you push us, until we all decided we had it, and you do a felony dangerous enough it puts you in jail and you're not getting out of this right now." Hancock said sternly at the remark. "Cub here didn't do anything wrong, he and his trio were acting as gentlemen, no car they offered the girls a ride home." Ryan said sternly and they both paled at his remark as Syme crossed his arms then sternly at that.

"A Fed, which one?!" Sheldon asked shaking and Syme crossed his arms. "He's in the FBI, Sheldon, but our time of getting in trouble repeatedly as looking like the old rebel without a cause. That is done now, so answer this, you challenge us to a grudge match and while we're thinking straight, you're drunk, again. And our neighbors hear the fight, call the cops and who's the finger getting pointed at?" I asked and he paled at the remark then and I nodded.

"After you hit him hard enough he blacks out?" I said and they swallowed hard at the remark. "You think both of these are going to be let go in our eyes, well you're wrong on all counts right now, you tried to kill him, you give him a concussion. He's in the hospital for a week and in bed for two, as he recovers from this, you think I'm not suing you for the amount of damage you did to him?" I asked and they both paled at my remark then.

"In later years, as though we stay out of trouble now, and the ones getting in trouble too much are screwing with the substance abuse. But I'm clean right now, and the girls asked us that question and we agreed, they want us to stop drinking, we can do that, in her words. 'Too many things can happen when we're loaded, so them or the booze.', and we choose them in a heartbeat." Two-bit said sternly and they both paled at the remark.

As they watched the girls lean into the duo and they swallowed hard at the response at that. "We can change, we can be everything they want, we would give it up for them, but take me as I am, take my life, I would give up everything I would sacrifice." Dally said and Sheldon swallowed hard at that. "So answer this, would you immediately give it up if she asks you too, without a fight?" Two-bit said to Anderson and they both swallowed hard.

"I know better not to be drinking and driving, I wasn't drunk last night, that was a cup of pepsi, she asked me if I would quit for her. And I said in a heartbeat, we're everything they want, and frankly we never did a thing for you to attack us for, just be there protecting them. And till they were safely back at their houses right now, but this was a bait and switch, I was in on it." he said and they both paled at that as our social worker's boss said it.

"Son, Jeremy is on his way here right now to discuss this with me." Mr. Porter said and we nodded to the news. "Alright, we can wave the relief, but it's the mid 60's and soon enough things are about to change, but this decade, it's sex, drugs and rock and roll. That we're paving the way for our counterparts now we can change, but we change and if this continues as do they." Dally said and I nodded in agreement as his remark got their attention.

"Ex?" Bob repeated and she nodded. "That's right, my parents are acting as his foster family, he's my baby brother now you idiot, you just tried to kill my baby brother!" Cherry snapped at him and he swallowed hard at that. "You wouldn't come up to see me." he said at that remark and she said it firmly. "No I couldn't now." she said and he said it quickly and I knew his heart was breaking at this as he said it to her then.

"Why not?" he asked and she said it then as I knew her heart was breaking then. "I couldn't, you almost killed him, when he did nothing for you to attack him for right now, but if he had been killed. Then you think I could see you, either of you, the same way again, all they were doing is being gentlemen. And in case a more dangerous version to their kind dropped by, say the Brumly brothers, they were protecting us, keeping us company."

"But him, Dally, Johnny or Two-bit, in one night, a connection was established, but call me a traitor all you want, you made the mess. But you're not dragging me down with you guys right now, we and our parents reached our limit, but do you think the parents of the other girls will take it. And any longer, you attack their brothers in their kind and all because they know how to act?" she asked and they both swallowed hard at her remark then.

"Things change, they can not change back, but things are in reverse now." Valance said sternly and they swallowed hard as the judge said it sternly to them at that remark. "There is no getting out of this, and they told us long before you tried to turn it around right now, last night after the attack. But his doctor, the chief and I were here at his house in a graveyard shift conference call." the judge said sternly and they paled at that.

"One fast call right to our teacher saves what would have you looking like the good guys and us being ripped apart, but I warned you. But did you listen, no and you're screwed, I warned you, and you're starting a fight with us in public, and when surrounded by a few adults. That was a sting operation we joined with the cops on last night, I was in on it, as was my gang." Curly said and I nodded as Tim gave a stern nod.

"I'm the guy that said I'll take it outside in your case, but you not get the memo or the warning from the clerk that said that to both of us?" he asked sternly and they swallowed hard, as they now saw the guys dressed in clean clothes though the haircuts were kept. "Though we keep our hairstyles, we're dressed in clean clothes and looking presentable now, do we still look like trash?" Soda asked sternly and they paled at the remark then.

"I'm just repeating that, but do we still look like trash to you guys right now, clean clothes, we're dressed better then you saw us last night. We're acting more courteous to your kind, your ex's parents now, we're being normal with the cops, we're not acting tough. So do we still look like trash to you right now, do we still look like greasers, no leather jackets, no torn clothing, we're presentable?" I asked him and they both paled at the remark then.

"The stereotypes are coming to an end right now, but we're getting into law enforcement now, so I do believe you know what this means boys." Tim asked sternly and they swallowed hard at the remark then. "I'm working two jobs to keep my family together, my brother dropped out of school to do just that, but you know what happens if one of us gets drafted, that's why we're working at preventing it.

"But Pony is the youngest of my family, that I'm working to make sure that he has enough to eat and we got a nice house. I work as hard as I can to make sure my brothers have enough to make it, but that's all of us, so who's the one that is going to keep getting in trouble. My brother could get in on a full scholarship, but his SAT's are the ticket to doing it, we need both so he can start college in three years.."

"So screw whatever you think here, but we're not the ones that tried to kill someone simply because of our looks, or we were jealous. And drunk at the moment, you guys had it coming right now." I said sternly and they all swallowed hard at that. "You asked for that injury Bob, he was trying to protect them and were it not for the guys arriving, then you would have destroyed his life." Cherry said sternly and I finished that remark.

"Were it not for the guys arriving, it's not your arm, but you're dead and he's got the fear of being removed from his family now, and all because of you." Marcia snapped at them and I said it then finally as their parents crossed their arms. "You never considered this, but we only get to stay together if we behave, he tries to stay out of trouble when he can." I said sternly and they paled at that remark then in shock.


	6. 5) Felonies And Windrixville

**Brothers**

**Disclaimers: The Outsiders do not belong to me, the story belongs to me, the characters and everything else belongs to the author and the movie company.**

**Warnings: The story is being placed after the fight and after he heads for Johnny, but instead of the things that happen the story is having the entire gang at the church. The following Friday after school as he was recovering from the attack. And the near drowning now as they saved the kids and Bob survives the fight.**

**And this story is going to be in Darry's point of view from the second Ponyboy leaves the house.**

**Chapter 5: The Truth Comes Out And Windrixville**

"That I decided to make sure you could never destroy his family or his gang, pre-emptive strike." Syme said and they swallowed hard at the news then. "Did I, or did I not say you guys try it, and you're all being charged with DWI, Assault and battery and attempted murder?" Hancock said sternly and they swallowed. "Or were you too loaded to get the memo right now?" Ryan asked sternly and the duo behind them paled at that.

"How did you know that's what happened last night?" the guy asked and he crossed his arms. "Does the clerk behind the stand counter ring a bell, buster, because my tone was beyond stern with you right now." he said and Curly repeated the warning to him then with a smirk. "You recall the fight, and Ponyboy said you were so drunk you stank of ethanol fumes right now." Hancock said to them at the remark and the duo paled.

"Guys replay that conversation between us, as we were making it clear right now." Hancock said and both sides nodded as the sextet paled as they got it then quickly. "Kris and Curly were in my graduating class, but we set aside the sides last night to talk, but her sister is part of Cherry's age group." Pony told me and I nodded to the news as Two-bit, Dally, Marcia and Cherry crossed their arms as they looked at the 8 sternly.

"We were talking when a fight broke out between Derek and this Soc that attacked him." Curly said to us and we nodded as he looked at him. "Or does this ring a bell, as you guys are drunk last night." he said as one of his girl classmates also arrived with her own parents as they did it again for us this time. "Leave him alone, will you?" Curly snapped as he shoved the guy away from Derek as he said it then.

"Alright knock it off, and leave him alone, will you." Curly said again as he got between them. "Hey I said cool it, in case you're not paying attention we got the girls in here, they don't need it too close to them though we got the counter between us and the adults." he said sternly and the girls in Ponyboy's aisle nodded as Kristen looked at him quickly as Jake Albertson, David Stone and Peter Randolph moved closer to my brother and Cherry.

"Uh oh, here we go again, do it and get it out of the room, before we end up in the middle, Curly." Kristy said to him and he nodded as he gave a warning tone to the Social he was dealing with. "Shoot come on man, not tonight, not tonight, we need a break to be normal for once, so both of you cool it already right now." Curly told them and the jersey Soc said it to him as he shoved him away from Derek as he grabbed his jacket.

"What are you going to do it about it?" the Soc asked and Curly grabbed his jacket at that remark, with a warning tone as he looked at him sternly as he looked at him then. "Let's take it outside huh, that's what I'll do, we got the adults watching, just try it right now, you think his gang wouldn't retaliate. right now. Or that we wouldn't for you attacking him, he's barely out of his early teens, and you idiots are drunk are right now."

"You're drunk." he said and I nodded sternly to the news as Steve pretended to be the cashier as he tapped Ponyboy on the arm and he nodded sternly at that. "Yeah, I can smell it all the way over here, but that's them." Ponyboy said and he nodded with a furious look at the news then. "It was these idiots, which ones?" he asked and Ponyboy pointed at the two in jerseys and we nodded sternly to the news as the girl behind him said it then.

"It was these guys, Pony?" she asked and he nodded to her and we nodded sternly. "Walking home from the theater, it was like every time I turned around I had these guys coming, I was just outside my house. And they attacked me, but the shouts alerted my gang to the attack, but they pissed my brother Darry off and with him, Dally and Two-bit." he said and she nodded sternly as Curly said it for her at the news then.

"Were they also drinking?" Hancock asked and he nodded and we all nodded as my eyes narrowed sternly. "Yeah that's the only time they try it, if we're alone, but some of us know the rules and deal in being sober. But the fact they attacked me, my entire side is close to calling a grudge match next, but do that, and you, if you're not who I think, is arresting all of them and shipping overseas." he said and Hancock nodded sternly as Curly said it firmly to him at that.

"Attempted murder on two occasions, are you guys out of your minds or are you just plain stupid right now, but did it ever occur to you. That the third time's the charm is going to have them not point the finger at them, but at you, if someone on either side ends up dead right now. How about the fact that if the cops hear the entire conversation before this gets back to Syme and your days are numbered." Kristen said to that remark sternly and I nodded.

"And we know only five units that deal in the conflict between our sides, and it's serious enough already, that they're ready to call it. And before it kills someone, but are you idiots trying to get arrested by the cops, us girls know better, but they got an easier time with us. And without the male dominance that comes with it, but did you ever consider that drinking and crazy jealousy is the one way ticket right to the cooler?"

"And us girl Socs all had it with you guys, but are you trying to lose us as we're ready to hook up with your Greaser counterparts. At least they can protect us without being drunk when doing it right now." Cherry said with a stern tone then and Curly nodded. "And given the chance, we can be everything they want us to be right now, as we would give that up for them in a heartbeat right now." Ponyboy said and she nodded smiling sternly.

"Give us a chance we can be decent, and we can shed that tough boy complex, but so long as you single us out, we stay like this. But we know better to start a fight in public, and none of us are drunk and I know Matthews wasn't right now, the five of us know better. Tim's not drunk nor is Two-bit, but we're wanting a chance to enjoy ourselves and you start a fight, enough already." Derek snapped at him sternly at the remark as Curly said it to him.

As Two-Bit wrapped his arm around Marcia's shoulders and she leaned against him with a smile on her face then gently. "He's right, we can be decent, and we have more finesse then starting a fight in public and when they don't drink. And we all know the rules, but 1) we could have the cops here, 2) is that you guys are the ones that started this, and 3) is none of us are loaded, and we know the rules on drinking and driving."

"That's illegal, we're all under 21, you idiot, are you guys trying to get arrested, as we all wanted a night off to be normal teenagers, for once. And you guys are drinking?" Curly snapped at him and we all nodded in agreement. "Well all that says is he wants to be looked at as normal, they can wear decent clothes, though they keep the haircuts, their idol is Presley." Hancock said to that as Syme took acting like the clerk to the Soc boys with a warning look.

"And Bob and Randy did bring it with them, I took one whiff of what was in their canteens and bailed, Marcia right behind me, and met up with Ponyboy and his trio." Cherry told us and we nodded sternly. "Surnames?" Hancock asked and she explained that to us. "Robert 'Bob' Sheldon and Randall 'Randy' Anderson, Sir, my father works for the firm in town." she said and we nodded sternly as the clerk beside me said it sternly to the quartet in Curly's line.

"What's your dad?" Ponyboy asked and she said it. "He's a lawyer, you never did anything wrong, you're just keeping us company, and you're too young for me, friends is all there is between us, even brother and sister." she said and he smiled gently at that and Curly smiled in relief. "None of us are drunk and we know better right now, though these idiots keep breaking that law." Curly said and we nodded in agreement sternly to his remark.

"Alright who brought it with them this time, you guys know the rules?" Syme said sternly to them and Hancock nodded in agreement. "They're wasted." Kristy said to that and he nodded to the remark. "More then wasted and drinking and driving is illegal, so is assault and battery in a public place, but the charges are piling up tonight, if the next one is another attack in a non prov." Hancock said sternly and Curly said it with a stern growl at him.

"And for just telling the truth, these losers are no better then we are." Curly said for both himself, Derek and Ponyboy and I nodded. "And it doesn't matter what you look like, there will be consequences, and we all reached our limits of the gang wars between you." Hancock said, pretending to be Carl Edwards as he came in, in time to hear that remark. "No kidding, but we had it with this right now." Ponyboy said to that and I nodded in agreement to that.

"You know the rules, bring it and you're being arrested for it when in a public place you idiot, but unless your mind is not firing on all cylinders. But Curtis, Derek, Cade and I are all under age right now, we're 14 to 16 here, you idiots, but you're not thinking straight. But we had it with you guys so again, touch him again and your asses are our's and we mean every word of that, so stay away from him and Cade, I mean it."

"And I'm warning you, come into our territory to do that attack and you're screwed right now, as I don't have to hear the words. But Syme and the cops know and you attack them again, or jump him for a second time and it's all over the cops and town. Next, that you attacked a boy no older then 14, you idiots are seniors in high school." he said sternly and Hancock nodded in agreement, knowing he realized they taken charge to prevent a fight that night.

"You idiots and my gang are seniors in high school, you're adults and Curtis and I are 14, Cade is no older then 16, get the memo. And stay the hell out of our territory, or you idiots are through right now, it doesn't matter what we look like. But we're no older then 14, you idiots are all adults, so chalk this up to child abuse, and get the memo, stay out of our territory, Soc." he said sternly to him and Pony nodded sternly.

"Our outfits are friends, but our one role besides stick together is don't get caught, so you want to get arrested for starting a brawl in public. And I know the chief's got several officers on stand by, but if you're loaded, you're the ones being arrested for it. How long do you think they'll take this much longer, before they arrest the real criminals, we can be decent, and we have more finesse then starting a fight in public."

"But attack a kid barely out of his preteens and your asses are ending up court for attempted murder, you idiots." Curly said and Derek nodded in agreement to that remark as he read it out to him and Ryan crossed his arms then. "Assault and battery, drinking and DWI, you're winding up with some hefty charges if you don't dial it down now, we got witnesses here." Derek said to him at that Curly nodded in agreement to his thoughts.

"And did it ever occur to you idiots that we might have the cops undercover tonight, in case of another attack that crosses the line?" he asked and I hid a smile. "Yeah, all but tell him that the chief and we commandeered the concession stand, and they're too loaded to realize it. And till they're fully sober tomorrow, if the next one, nearly kills someone right now, nice scare tactic son." Ryan said to that and I hid a nod to his thoughts.

"We're all sober right now, and we outnumber you guys 20 to 5, so watch it right now, so let's take it outside." he said to him sternly at that remark and I nodded sternly in agreement. "Yeah no joke, young man try it now, and you're being arrested or did you not get the memo right now, with you drunk." Ryan said sternly as he crossed his arms as Ponyboy nodded as he got it as he and Cherry watched me then.

As Hancock moved to that side of the line as he looked at them, before the fight got worse as it was a struggle between Derek, Curly and three Socs: two dressed in the school jersey jacket and a third dressed in winter clothing of a yellow sweater and khaki pants. "Uh oh, now you done it right now, Ricky." the girl right behind Ponyboy and Cherry said to him and I nodded as Hancock said it firmly as he ended the fight between them at that.

"Alright you two, why don't you both take it outside, come on, outside." he said and he shoved him away from him as he grabbed what he came to get and tossed him a wadded up five dollar bill and I nodded, knowing he was paying for their snacks as that ended it then between them. "Whoever calls the cops next, take it outside, before she and the girls end up in the middle, guys, come on." Ponyboy called out and his side nodded gently.

"Curtis, Tim's waiting on stand by man." Derek said and he nodded to the news. "Tell Two-bit, we'll join him in a sec, I've got to pay for this first, but whoever starts it a second time do it out of earshot of the adults, before they get the cops coming here, would you please." he said and both sides nodded in agreement to his request. "Or before you have us ending it ourselves now, son." Hancock said in response and they all nodded as the duo left at that.

"And I don't care who started that fight, I'm ending it, but you got the adults watching and listening to the entire conversation young man. So someone on your side crosses the line and you not thinking at all clearly, you're getting it in the morning if you drop by their houses. Tomorrow now, but that's the end of the line, but you got more Assault and battery charges then their side combined." he added sternly and they swallowed hard at that.

As the trio all paled at that as they looked at him. "I know that tone, I hear that in Hancock's voice when he's arrested us a few times." The jersey Soc said and Hancock nodded sternly. "Like he said it, you want to cross that line and you're being arrested for it young man, but I meant it, do it in here, and you're being arrested for assault and battery so take it outside, now." he said with a warning tone to the duo and he quickly left at that remark.

"Nice touch Officer, that scares 'em off right now." Kristy said to him and Hancock nodded to that. "Yes and I meant it, they want to cross that line, lets see them deal with it when the shoe is on the other foot right now. But you're under age and they're adults, you never did anything wrong, just acting as a gentlemen to protect her in case the Brumlys come through here." he said and he nodded gently as he looked at them at the remark then.

"Well I know that tone, I heard that tone in Syme's voice all the time on campus, but he said he was getting the cops involved before this resulted in something else. I also saw a couple cruisers on campus, when heading home from school." Ponyboy told him and he nodded. "You know some of us do issues in cases of the Narcotics department, sting operation son." Officer Ryan said to that and he looked between them at that remark.

"Officer Hancock, Officer Ryan?" Ponyboy said and he nodded. "Curly wasn't kidding, we're looking for the ones that attacked both you and Cade, so set the trap..." Hancock said and they both smiled. "And they fall right into it and Marcia and I are the bait, okay we got it, but if Johnny asks me if Bob catches sight of us. And you found your Soc that attacked him and his companion red car." she said and they both nodded to her as they exchanged looks.

"Johnny said that the car was a blue mustang, this year." Ponyboy said and she froze at that remark. "Did he say who was driving that car?" she asked and he nodded. "A brunette dressed in the school jacket, with a red long sleeve t-shirt, and his friend, blonde with a shirt version to whatever he could be wearing right now, if your boyfriends and these Socs are the very same guy." he said and she nodded to the news sternly at that remark.

"And if they are, they just pissed me off right now, you guys are decent, though Dal wants me to like, he better clean up his act." she said and I hid chuckle at that remark. "Nice touch right now, but we know better then to do it too close to you, you hate fights, we get that, but there is no need to start one. We're not hurting you, you came of your own accord, and we're being decent to you." Ponyboy said to her, and the girls behind him gently.

As the girl that was talking to the duo brushed a hand on his back and he smiled at her gently at the response then. "Not us, your counterparts were trying to start a fight, but Curly just ended it, before we had the call go out right now." he said and she nodded gently. "I hope your wiseacre brother stops pulling pranks on us tonight, as not only did he scare Johnny, he also startled us." she said and he nodded to her smiling then gently.

"If you mean Two-bit, he's always like that, but with it close to Halloween, the jumps scares are about to start getting out of hand, so watch it, if he puts a phantom's mask in someone's locker later, Kris." he said and she and her friends started laughing at that and nodded to him. "So that's what happened in the concession stand, before our daughters spotted Randy tailing them as they were heading home?" Marcia's father asked and they nodded.

"Enjoying a night off to be normal teenagers, we had the cops listening to us and the entire conversation, but he swapped places with Carl Edwards. As they look alike, and Ryan was in the kitchen right then with Peter Randolph as that door out of it was directly out the back way. And pointed at the front gate, Parker was watching at the fence, and Peterson was the clerk at the front gate." Derek said and the 7 paled at the news then.

"I meant it young man, take it outside." Hancock said sternly and they all swallowed hard at his remark. "You understand this, that I look like Carl, but I could be his twin for all you know, but no, I told Carl to handle things in the back. And I was standing there listening to the entire conversation, what was named off was a set of rings, and a blue mustang, a guy dressed in a summer version to your clothes last night."

"And let me tell you I heard enough to know that the make and model was enough to nail your coffin shut in this open and shut case." he said and they both paled at the news and he nodded. "Before he pointed out the guys that attacked him to us and that did it finally, we had your friends, and now we got you, but enough was enough in our eyes." Ryan said sternly and they swallowed hard at his remark as Hancock said it then.

"Despite the fact we gave you guys a warning last night, you still did it." Hancock said sternly and they paled at the remark. "And for the record, we decided to save ourselves a trip trip to Vietnam, we're joining the academy here, and becoming junior cops. As the junior Narcotics team, ergo, we can get around our area safely because we know the dangers." Tim said to them sternly and they all paled at the remark then.

"Then that means do it again and you're going to...?" Anderson said in shock and they nodded. "That's right, we can be decent, if you would set aside the bad boy complex, but 9 years troublemaker and we become law upholders. You guys get in trouble too much as it is, but we're getting jobs at the precinct so attack us again and you're being arrested by us this time, we're cops now." Curly said to him sternly and she nodded in agreement.

"He named my car and us?" Randy asked shaking and she nodded sternly. "How long before I realized you were the ones that beat the crap out of a just turned 16 year old, huh?" she asked and they both swallowed hard at the remark then. "They were too innocent to hurt anyone, they're not the type, we know this and you guys are attacking under age teenagers, you're turning 19 in six months, you idiots."

"So stay away from them, Bob, I mean it and to answer your other question, does the fight between you and Two-bit ring a bell?" she asked and he paled at the remark. "The cops were undercover at the drive in, you idiots." Marcia added and they paled at the news and the chief nodded. "You were at the drive in, just waiting for us to target them, because we heard they were hitting on the girls?" Bob asked, shaking and the cops all nodded sternly.

"Not hitting, she's too old for me and Johnny, besides she and I got more in common then you think, she said she hates fights, she likes me, but as a kid brother." Pony said and they swallowed hard at that remark. "Then who did they choose, if not you?!" Randy said in shock and Dally said it sternly. "She chose me and Two-bit, Anderson, we're their age and they like us." he said and she finished that remark sternly as she looked at him.

"But does the warning from Derek Hanscomb ring a bell, he said if you ever touched Ponyboy again and you have his gang and the Curtis gang on your heads. And my own threat just turned into a promise as well, you think I wouldn't realize it was you that attacked Johnny a few months ago. Ponyboy told me everything, but his friends were protecting me and Marcia as they walked us home, as I met their counterpart gang right now."

"But this now, I reached my limit, I had it Bob, this is illegal, you're 18, Ponyboy is a just turned 14 year old, you idiots." she snapped and he paled at the remark as they realized they were going to jail for child abuse and attempted murder. "We..., we attacked a 14 year old and his best friend, we're 18 and this means...?" Randy said shaking and they all nodded sternly as the chief said it sternly as he looked at his gang then.

"That's right, and young man, freeze right there, they got me the information, before you could turn it around right now." The chief snapped sternly at him then and he paled at that as Valance said it sternly as he looked between them. "You guys were all drunk and they did nothing for you to attack them for, aside from being gentlemen. And walking our daughters home, so tell me, how do you expect to turn that around right now."

"You guys are a few months passed 18, the oldest is going on 19, he's an adult, you're all adults now." Valance said to him sternly and Syme crossed his arms at that. "If your mind is not firing on all cylinders this boy is only a month passed 13, damn it, his best friend is a just turned 16 year old. And the oldest is going on 19, you attacked a freshmen and junior, and when they never did anything for that assault, but being gentlemen."

"In protecting your girlfriend from other boys more dangerous then Dallas Winston, you tried to kill him, simply because they were protecting the girls and being gentlemen?" he asked and Sheldon and Anderson paled, seeing nothing they said was going to make any difference. "Yes that's right nothing you say is going to get you out of this, that injury was due to self defense." Marcia's father said to him and he swallowed hard at that remark.

"He contacted us last night and told us immediately in what the hell happened this time, but one fast alteration, in this as this story he's working on. Said is focused on his point of view from beginning to end now changes what would have destroyed three lives right now." Syme said and I finished it. "But that's what his writing assignment is going to be about right now, top of his class, star player on track and everything that came with it now."

"But the truth is going to come out in writing and he's selling the story right to an author no older then Dallas." I said and they swallowed hard. "And with the caption of this on it. This caption is like every other book out there right now, is based on the same thing, story in the first person, meaning, it's in his wording and his thoughts now." Soda said and I finished that remark as Pony leaned against my shoulder as I read it out

_**'Ponyboy can count on his brothers, and his friends, but not on much else, except trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids, who's idea of good time is beating up greasers like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect..., until the night someone takes things too far.'. **_So take a guess of who the said someone is now." I said and they all paled as every adult listening to this all nodded sternly then.

As my speech started changing and I sounded like an adult then. "Listen to me all of you, and that remark is right, he could count on us, but I'm his big brother, you think I wouldn't kill you myself. And for putting him in the hospital, but I know if I do that, I could get arrested, but do you have a kid brother that idolizes you, or a big brother who wishes you would straighten up?" I asked and they swallowed hard at that remark then.

"You guys are my brother and his best friend in Soc form, but I don't have to hear the words, if Steve was killed last night, Soda might stop fighting. But if Soda died, Steve would never stop until he puts you guys behind bars, but you touch our baby brother, you hit his final breaking point." I said and they both paled at the remark as I went further as I looked between them sternly as I went on.

"If anything you guys are too hotheaded to understand, this, but I'm one side of it, Pony the other, and Soda is in between us. But we're not the type to just give up, we want more, and we're willing to work for it, but look at you, mommy and daddy gave you everything." I said and they swallowed. "Free ride, look at you guys, your parents gave you everything, our parents said no, gave us something solid to stand on."

"Why do you think we get in trouble so much, we just want someone to give us something solid to stand on, we can change, and become everything they want us to be now." Steve said with a stern growl and I nodded. "I had it with this, so you bring Paul Holden back, don't bother messing with me, we're about to turn over a new leaf now, but we all had it with this, if Johnny was injured so severely, he was out of the final fight between us."

"Before you put my baby brother in the hospital for a concussion, you think I won't sue you for real this time, as you put a 14 year old in the emergency room. two words, police sting operation as once again your actions put my brother in the hospital, and he collapses on us." I said and they swallowed hard. "That's not going to happen, but that's one last warning, start jumping us again and we're going to war." Dally said as the chief nodded sternly to that.

"In one week, things change and I'm representing us of who are about to change and become junior cops and several other careers meant to get ahead. And by working for it right now, and I can work my way through college as I do this now, though I go to school here in Oklahoma now. I'm not leaving my brothers without a fight, my brothers or my friends, ever." I said and they swallowed hard as Two-bit finished that sternly at that.

"We had it with you guys, and we want to be accepted by society, we're not looking for a fight, but a place to belong, and sure till now, we didn't have much, but we had each other." Two-bit said sternly to him and they swallowed hard at the remark. "And gentlemen if you never considered, I was a family friend, and enough is enough." I heard and he smiled. "Hey Mrs. Matthews." Pony said and she smiled at the remark gently.

"You okay baby?" she asked and he nodded as she gave him a hug and he tightened his arms around her then. "My parents are dead, only been a few months, but we been in mourning ever since and this doesn't help anything, would you manage if you lost both parents?" Pony said and they paled at his remark. "We had enough of this, so one last time and it's over with between us, as we move on." Dally said sternly and they all paled at that.

"No more brawls, no more fights and we're more respectable of the law, so guess who is going to get in trouble as every time we're busy at home. Or at work and the call comes in, as they hear the words social elite and crime scene every time they turn around now here. As they know it was never us, as we stopped and we changed, and we're no longer the JD's we once were, and we're working for the town police department."

"The contractors union, and becoming an author in our family, and the others are now working acting on being everything the adults want us to be now. So guess who is going to get the finger pointed at them after the rumble now?" Soda asked and they all paled as the adults all had their arms crossed as they got it then. "That's right, it's going to be you now, after your last fight now." the judge said sternly as Hancock said it then.

"But do you recall a remark, of saying you and Curly Sheppard should take it outside?" Hancock asked the third guy sternly. "How his saying that, sounded suspiciously like I do when I had to arrest you guys once too often for the DWI, or a brawl on campus?" he asked them sternly as he read it out. "Trade the clothes and my business tone in the stand, young man." he said and they both paled as the chief crossed his arms then.

"But you guys were all too loaded to think straight, and Curly was right, he had more finesse then to start a fight in public with the girls that close. But did it ever occur to you idiots that we might have commandeered the concession stand, just waiting for a blow up last night?" Ryan asked and they nodded. "Well that was no bluff, he was telling you the truth, because we were right there." Hancock said sternly to the two jersey jackets at that.

And they paled and he nodded. "Yeah that's right, it was me, as you know I wear glasses, but trade clothes, you hear that tone in my voice when I mean business, but the ten of us. We were undercover at the drive in, waiting for this and we were right behind you when you made that threat to them." he said sternly and they swallowed hard at that news as Marcia sighed in relief at the news then as Cherry said it sternly.

"Pony and I figured that out, as we had both sides piled into the room, Curly was trying to prevent a fight, but your Soc was part of the Corvair, Darry." she said and I nodded. "Those two?" I asked and she nodded. "Yeah, all but the yellow sweater, it was these idiots, and we had the cops listening to the entire conversation, between Pony and me." she said and I nodded smiling in relief at the news as her parents nodded.

"Want for a better word, and he wasn't bluffing did it ever occur to your male counterparts that we all had enough of the wars and the sides divided. That we, your parents and the cops, the faculty, decided on a sting operation, before someone on both sides ends up dead last night?" her father asked and I nodded. "You set us up, you're the bait, Cherry?!" Sheldon said in shock and she crossed her arms as she leaned against Dally.

"We didn't set you up, you set me up." she said sternly and he swallowed. "You set me up as the bait when you brought that crap with you, you set me up when I encountered the guys. We never did a thing, you did this all on your own, with you both too loaded to think straight now last night. But you did this to yourselves all we had to do was just show up for it, and you did the rest." Marcia said sternly and she finished that remark then

"And you're too late you two, it's over, I belong to Dally now, and she belong to Two-bit." Cherry said as she crossed her arms then sternly at this. "You attack them for no reason, but just a single change prevented you from ending up dead, why you attack him exactly?!" she said sternly as she said it with a warning growl. "I told you before, I am never going out with you when you're drinking and I meant it right now."

"My dad gave me strict rules and you guys are spoiled rotten, how long can you push the limit before the end of the line, were it not for Two-bit, Darry and Soda, you would be dead and his life is destroyed, I'm not having it now, it's done with, it's over." she snapped and he looked down at that remark. "You made the choice and destroy your own lives, he never did a thing, but walk me home." she said and I saw his eyes tear up at that remark then.

Knowing he was completely sober then and knowing nothing he said could change what happened the night before, they were through, and nothing he said could change it back. "Why is this woman here?" he asked, shaking and Jane answered that sternly. "I'm his social worker, but their family is my client right now, and their entire gang is under chart right now, young man, but this boy lost his parents six months ago."

"You understand what your actions could have lead to right now, if that was no injury, but you were dead this morning?" she asked and he swallowed hard and the chief read it out then. "What this would have lead to is his best friend gets tried for manslaughter, and he gets taken away from his brothers, you did more then attack him, you could have had him taken from his family!" he snapped sternly and they swallowed hard at that.

"Want for a better word who do you think if we had another teacher hearing this as it gets into the paper and the story gets out exactly. That you could have destroyed an innocent 14 year old's life right now, your ex decided to act as his family sponsor right now." he said and they swallowed hard at that. "I'm from the state, and hearing the entire story is enough to kill your cases." a man said and they paled at the news then as he said it.

"The drinking is the one thing getting you two in trouble, but I heard the entire story last night right after the attack. But he told me everything, as did Two-bit, and long before you could turn this around as I turned this over to Jared, so nothing you say is going to change this." Syme told them and they swallowed hard at that. "You guys are going on 18, he's one month into 14." Tim said with a low growl as Tim stood there with his arms crossed.

"You better get yourselves a very good lawyer you're going to need them for this right now, these boys maybe a bit wild at times but we see it now. But they look dangerous and they're not, you don't look dangerous and you are, he read it out to me clearly at the moment now. But things change and soon enough, it's the ones that get it trouble once too often that are the immediate suspects, so what's going to happen now."

"If your side nearly destroys a plane and his side is the one that saves a few hundred people by alerting us in the cops and authorities. That your contraband is what nearly destroys said plane right now?" they heard and he turned shaking as I saw a man dressed in the uniform of our state's FBI and nodded. "Hey son." he added and Pony smiled gently at the title, before I remembered it and smiled in delight then.

"Almost forgot here, but my paternal uncle is part of the Bureau here in Oklahoma." Pony said and the duo paled at the remark and I nodded to that. "So Tom, I got my nephew's gang, but it bounced from you, to us, and right to the state social services department. But try to set the church on fire, and there a few dozen kids hanging around and once again you're trying to frame them for arson and murder, don't think so."

"Because I know my cubs too well to know this, at least they act in self defense, they don't go around picking a fight when you did nothing to deserve it." my uncle, Agent Jeremy Curtis, said and they swallowed hard. "And don't even think about it, as it's the individual, as they show they can be assets to society as well by acting on being protectors." he said sternly as he crossed his arms as he looked between them.

"You honestly expected us to never take it seriously, let me ask you something, you think we won't consider, if a building gets blown up. Or a house gets set on fire, or a plane is close to being destroyed in later years, that we find a few dozen bottles of alcohol at the crime scene. That you're not the culprit, when you guys left this at the crime scene?" Uncle Jeremy asked as he held up the canteen and they all paled at that.

"Or if you keep doing it, but the remarks of you being a disgrace to society is the punchline, you just proved it now in our eyes. You attacked two kids younger then you, and nearly killed one of them, you're drinking while you're doing it, and he never did anything for you to do it. But just being honest, and he was very correct, you maybe rich, but you're nothing, nothing, but white trash wearing fancy clothes and driving fancy cars."

"He's my youngest cub, but I could have taken them in, but they asked not to leave their friends, and we capitulated to the request now. But your idiocy could have destroyed his life, you got yourself killed by trying to kill him now, but time is up, you been pushing us and pushing us. Well now you pushed too hard and we're ending this entire thing right now, with the war in Vietnam." he said sternly and they swallowed hard at the news.

"But you better get yourselves a very good lawyer you're going to need them, he's lucky to be alive right now as the trio arrived now. But he gets sick after the next emergency and your ass is mine and I mean every word of that right now, we're suing your parents all for $1,000,000 now, each." he said and they paled at the remark. "Get them out of here." he said and Hancock and Ryan, and their teams, arrested them at that remark.

"Uncle Jeremy, I think it's best we get Johnny out of the Cade's custody, I mean if he had broken his back like I put in the story now. Then the fight between them after he passed out in front of me, it could kill him right now, and I'm not taking that chance, but they're drunk." Pony said and he nodded sternly to him at the news. "I'll take care of it, but like we promised you're off the hook." he said and we nodded in relief to the news then.

"If there is anymore trouble, you got a single chance with you out in Windrixville this weekend, but you remember my cabin by Jay mountain guys?" he asked and we nodded. "Yeah we can go there this weekend right now." Dal said and I nodded. "I'm letting you on a week of at home schooling but Rick and I are your guardians till you graduate." he said and we nodded smiling at the news in relief then as he took charge at that.

"The hearing is going to be in a month." he said and we nodded firmly as we exchanged looks at the news. "These guys cause anything and they're the ones getting in trouble for it right now, but we're going to be gone all weekend, but I'm taking next weekend off as well, so we're leaving after school Thursday night and heading back up there, Uncle Jeremy." I said and he nodded to the news gently at that remark.

"You got another sting operation if they start trying to jump us again, but Mrs. Matthews is the one in range of the vacant lot." I said and he nodded. "I see what you're saying and you're right, who's going to get it, if he gets hit hard enough to pass out on us and we take him to Frank." she said and Uncle Jeremy nodded in agreement. "The rumble between us your ace in the hole, before the trial." I said and they all nodded sternly at the remark.

"And that gun is empty, but that's the part that gets changed here, in the book." Pony said and they all nodded. "So not Johnny, but you were remembering your parents as you reflected on things, as you wrote out that book?" she asked and he nodded. "In memory of my parents now." he said and she smiled gently at that remark. "Darrel would want this anyway, honey." she said and we nodded as we ended it at that remark.

"Got it, alright you guys enjoy yourselves, see you tomorrow night." the Chief said and we nodded as Cherry hugged us and I tightened my arms around her, as Dally kissed her and Marcia, looked at Two-bit who also gave him a hug then. "You got us being out of town as well, we're going with." Tim said and they nodded as they had their duffle-bags in the back of his truck then as Uncle Jeremy nodded sternly to that.

"So anymore trouble and with all of you out of town, the blame is on the Socials if this starts over the weekend right now." he said and the the chief nodded sternly in agreement to that. "Yep, we're not in town, so anything gets destroyed, or the call comes in on bar brawl, or worse someone torches something. And we know it's not them or the middle class, but the dangerous rich kids." he said and they all nodded to that remark.

"Get ready in case Jennings does something, as the gang wars are coming to an end, but the drugs and music didn't yet." Syme said to him and he nodded in agreement. "Mark so help me god, you do anything else and your ass is mine right now." Angela said to that and I hid a chuckle. "Ang' see you tomorrow tonight." I said and she smiled gently at me. "What's the big deal?" Cherry asked and I crossed my arms then.

"Mark Jennings was a illegitimate, son of a cowboy, but he doesn't know the meaning of right or wrong and keeps getting in trouble, if he gets arrested for being a pusher, that's it and he's ending up in jail for six years, but I'm his best friend's girlfriend." she said and the girls both nodded. "We can change, but we're not getting busted for that crap." Tim said and she nodded in agreement to that remark then.

"You guys get into enough trouble as it is, but you and Bryan had this rivalry for years and I'm your baby sister, but you to me and to Curly, Tim." she said and he nodded. "Aside from that, if I did start dating her?" Pony asked and she smiled. "Yeah I would take you in a heartbeat." she said and he smiled then. "These idiots never know when to quit, but Jennings better get his act together right now." Ryan said and I nodded in agreement.

"Just imagine the side effects if Bryan ends up being the one to sell him out." I said and they nodded. "That brings a whole new meaning to shoot the cop, if Douglas becomes a cop right now, in ten years." Hancock said to that and I nodded in agreement to that. "Yeah, alright, we'll see you guys, tomorrow, sis, be careful, Angel." Curly said and she nodded smiling as I started my car and Tim did the same as they followed us out of town then...


End file.
